


Rebirth of the forgotten

by Fatherlycash45



Category: Highschool DxD, Original Work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-06-01
Packaged: 2018-04-02 05:39:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4048297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fatherlycash45/pseuds/Fatherlycash45
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An ancient evil has awoken from its slumber, rising from the grave that it was put in by the Great War, oh those many years ago. Reborn through plans long made, the evil arises with a vengeance, eager to begin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Now before you read the story, i urge you to give it a chance. Don't just read the first chapter, but the first few chapters. It will get better, i assure you. With that, i hope you enjoy this story and feel free to leave a comment. Every comment helps, so don't hold back! (though please, don't just tell me the stories stupid and leave it at that. Tell me why, so i can make it better.)

"So why exactly are we hunting down this stray devil? I mean, while I'm not happy with him killing his master and then making a break for it, I would much rather be in my bed, with a hot cup of cocoa in front of my tv, watching Netflix." A unhappy woman grumbled, eyes narrowing as she looked to the dark, cloudy heavens above. The night sky was thick with the scent of rain, a rumble in the distance foreshadowing the downpour to come. 

"We're doing this because if we don't, who knows how many other Devils might die to him. We can't have him terrorizing every neighborhood he wanders into, killing countless, innocent people." Another woman's voice snapped from beside the first. "Along with that, we need to avenge the deaths of his master. I agree, I'd much rather be at home, with-" before the woman could finish a low rumble growled unhappily above them, as though daring her to continue in what she was saying. 

"We need to hurry, otherwise we're gonna be stuck in a downpour of rain." The first woman grumbled, her ochre brown eyes looking around her, searching. Eventually they landed on something, and the woman quickly approached it. Picking up a broken twig, the woman felt it tenderly in her hands, examining it before looking up. 

The forest seemed untouched, not a thing out of place, or at least to most it would. However to the woman, it was as clear as day that something had passed by here, in a hurry, and trying to keep a down low. 

"Did you find tracks Keira?" The second woman's voice asked quietly, hesitantly. 

The first woman, known as Keira, grunted in response. "You know perfectly well I don't like being called that Sarina.....and yes, I did find tracks." 

Sarina rolled her Emerald green eyes, running a hand through her long black hair. "Oh, right, forgive me, KATY. I didn't mean to offend you." Sarina mocked, grinning as chocolate brown eyes turned to regard her through messy locks of short, punk-style pink hair.

"Sometimes I really hate you, you know that?" 

Before Sarina could make a witty remark, the sound of rustling leaves in the distance caught their attentions, and they quickly resumed their work. 

Keira lead the way, silent as could be. She and her childhood friend, Sarina, wore sweatpants, plain black shirts beneath a warm jacket, topped off by a rain coat to keep them dry. While it may not have been the best clothing for hunting down a runaway devil, it was all they could afford on such short notice. 

Silently the pair moved, careful to avoid anything that would alert the stray of their position. However, even through their stealthiness, the question remained. Where was the damn thing? 

Looking around, Sarina couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. There was no light to guide their path, though Devils didn't need it, as they had an innate ability to see in the dark. Even so, the damp, cold air and moonless earth around them still wasn't easy to see in. Sarina felt uneasy, not liking the fact that they had not seen the stray creature thus far. The raven haired woman was about to voice her uneasiness when a rabid snarl broke through the relatively silent air, making both woman tense up. 

Keira, keeping her cool, crouched low and scanned the area around her. There was no sign of-WAIT! There in the distance, while barely at the tip of her sight, was some form of movement. Keira turned to Sarina, motioning for her to be quiet and follow. 

Doing as her friend told her, Sarina crouched low and followed. Keira lead the way, through an arch like path, which would get them closer to where the snarl had come from, while still keeping them at a reasonable distance should the devil be the first to spot them. 

The pair stopped as another deeper, louder snarl resonated through the forest, reaching deep into their very bones, though that was probably just the cold. With a few hand signals, both women nodded their heads and decided to take to the trees, wanting a better sight advantage against this sneaky enemy. 

Sarina tensed as a soft howl blew passed her, and she almost shot off an attack before realizing it was simply the wind. The clouds high above had become darker, the air now so thick with rain one could cut and eat it as a snack. Winds picking up, temperatures dropping, they needed to finish off the stray quickly, else they would suffer mother natures wrath. 

As if to prove Sarinas thoughts, the treetops began to shake and rustle in the wind, leaves clashing together loudly. While the pair were thankful for the noise, which would help to block out their own, they weren't to happy about constantly being smacked by leaves and twigs. Nonetheless, they trudged on, hopping from branch to branch, making sure to not let the wind push them off their perch. 

Keira held up a hand, closing it in a fist, signaling to stop where they were. Not far away, where the snarl had resonated from, was a flicker of light. Small, fragile, and barely visible, but it was light nonetheless. 

In the middle of the forest, where there were no hotels or any form of electricity to light a lightbulb, meant the light could be one of few things. A flashlight (not possible, as the light would be larger and shine brighter), magic (again not possible, as the pair would've sensed the magical fire, and once again, it would shine brighter, without going out). 

There were a few Devils from certain households and family lineages with other forms of light, able to conjure lightning, fire as stated before, light itself (though that was mostly for angels and fallen angels), and other sources of light that varied from each one. 

So, if it wasn't any of that, Keira knew that the light was fire. Natural, wild, unstable and uncontrollable fire that a human (or demon) had created in hopes of gaining some form of warmth in the quickly dropping temperatures.

The duo got closer and closer, and eventually they stood in the same branch, crouched and peering out of the darkness to where a skinny human boy was. The boy was no older than 14, in front of a tiny fire that sputtered and hissed unhappily. A torn red shirt hung uselessly from the boys shoulders, with tears as though he had been attacked by something. His legs were in similar conditions, his once nice blue jeans torn down the sides, one more than the other. 

Sarina wondered why a boy so young was out in the woods, much less alone and so.....well messed up. 

The boys eyes darted back and forth, peering into the darkness, as though he was looking for something. Sarina put two and two together, and realized the stray devil had done this to him. 

The scenario that had happened had probably went something like this. 

The boy, alone or perhaps with his mother, had been making their way to their home, either by taking a shortcut through the forest or their home that was in the forest. In either case, they were walking along when the stray devil had attacked, most likely attacking the boy's mother first. 

The devil had most likely killed simply for the sake of killing, and when it had finished silencing the woman's screams of pain and terror, had turned on the terrified young boy. However, should that be the case, the devil could have obliterated the boy in a matter of seconds, tearing his body in half and tearing those pieces into smaller pieces and so on. 

So, why than, was the boy still alive? Still breathing and very much alive? 

The only thing that made sense to Sarina, was that the devil was playing with his prey. More than likely the creature wanted to hear the boy scream, wanted to drag out his suffering and torture him. 

Keira had similar thoughts, and it was at that moment that they realized what was going to happen. 

You see, so far they have not had any vision on the stray itself, who has most likely kept to the shadows, keeping its eyes on the boy. 

In order to find the creature without alerting it to their presence, scaring it off or simply being unable to find it, they were forced to.......well sacrifice the young boy. 

In order to draw out the devil, they would have to let it come out on its own time, when it felt it was time to attack the helpless young lad. 

Sarina's gut churned and her heart ached at the thought of letting him die, of WATCHING him die, but they had to kill the devil. One lost soul in return for saving countless others.

Both women prepared themselves internally for what was to happen, hoping that the devil would simply approach the boy, strike fear into him, so that they could jump from their perch and attack, hopefully saving the scared child. 

The boy rubbed his hands together as he scooted closer to the flame, whimpering softly in both fear and pain. He was alone, afraid, and was probably going to die. He wished his mother were here, he wished his father were here, he wished he could simply be at home, in bed with his mother watching over him! Why couldn't he just wake up from this horrible nightmare, to his mother looking worriedly down at him?! 

The boy began to softly cry, wiping at his eyes in a attempt to stop his tears. "M-mommy......m-m-mommy....." The boy silently whimpered, sobbing into his hands as the tiny fire he had made sputtered and finally went out, hissing as it dispersed. 

"Mommy isn't here." A voice hissed out from the shadows, startling the boy out of his crying. Immediately the boy tried to stand up, though he quickly fell back onto his butt, looking around fearfully. 

"G-go away! Please! I didn't do anything!" The boy screamed, scrambling backwards in a futile attempt to escape his killers clutches. 

Sarina clenched her hands into fists, her nails biting into her palm. Where was the damn devil?! Why hadn't he shown himself?!

Keira seemed to be feeling the same, nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot, eyes scanning the area for the creature lurking in the shadows. 

"Your right, you didn't do anything, but I'm hungry. I'm oh so hungry." The boy whimpered as piercing red eyes suddenly appeared in the darkness before him, glaring at him with such cruel, blood thirsty anger that the boy couldn't tear his eyes away from them. 

Sarina saw the eyes and was about to jump down and attack when Keira raised a hand, stopping her yet again. "Illusion." Keira mouthed, pointing behind the boy, where another pair of eyes peered out, hungrily at the young boy. 

The devil was toying with the boy, and from the creatures hissing laughter, Sarina could tell it was enjoying it. "What's wrong little boy? Mother not here to save you?" The creature taunted, laughing as the boy whimpered and pulled his knees up to his chest. 

The boy began to cry into his knees, obviously praying and hoping this was all a dream, some sick nightmare he would wake up from. The stray devil allowed the boy to cry, simply snarling from time to time, encouraging further whimpers and sobs of fear. 

However the boys time was short, and eventually the devil began to tire of the crying. The boy seemed to recognize the shift in the air, the drop in happiness at his crying, as he looked up just in time to see the creature step out of the shadows that hid it. The creature was disgusting, truly a demon of folklore. From the waist up, the stray devil was a normal man. Shirtless, with a toned stomach and upper body, muscular arms and a sharp, admittedly handsome face. Piercing red eyes were sunken firmly into his face, below a messy mane of black hair. Like any stray devil, his teeth, which were showing through the wide grin he wore, were sharp and dagger like.

That was what was normal about the devil, now here is everything that was far from normal. Besides the bat wings, the pointy teeth and the ability to use magic, which were all considered strange and weird to humans, stray Devils were in a class of weird all their own. You see, a devil, when born, usually had the traits of their parents, just like any other human who inherited their parents genes. The wings, the power, the level of magical ability and so on all come from their parents. Just like any persons genes, a persons lineage can be traced back hundreds of thousands of years to their Indian ancestors that were birthed into existence before time was ever a thing. For Devils, it's the same, however it's also much more different.

You see, Devils, originally classified as demons, were the creatures everyone sees in scary movies, folklore, mythology, fantasy books and all those things. Disgusting creatures with pointy horns, black and dotting skin, claws, foaming at the mouths and so on. However demons, just like every other race and creature, began to evolve and change. As time went on, demons began to abandon their bloodthirsty, cruel and barbaric ways, adopting a more civilized approach. The title of demon changed to devil, and eventually, through the last final years of evolution and change, demons became what they were today.

Now, why does this history lesson matter? Well, as demons began to change and become more civilized, they realized that they could change the way they acted, but not the way they looked. To others, it didn't matter how nice the demon was, the sight of it would unnerve them, bringing fear wherever they went. Treaties, relationships, any form of communication with the other races was made difficult because of their appearance. So, in order to make themselves more appealing to the other races, a ritual was performed to change what they looked like. 

The ritual was.......gruesome, and only a chosen few remember it. You see, to become the Devils they are today, they needed to change their skin. There are plenty of illusion spells to change that, but anyone with the slightest bit of magical power can easily see through it. So, they had to very literally change their own skin, and too do that......well they gathered a group of humans and.....skinned them. 

The demons than used a powerful magics to bind the skin to their own bodies, merging with their own and changing them into the forms of a human. Not every demon went through this, most did, but not every single one. Those that did not go along with it either became strays and were killed for going against what the first Satan declared, or simply disappeared, probably to an unknown world or place where they could live in peace. 

And so, the first Devils came into existence, their bodies being changed very forcefully, very painfully into that of a human form. Once the Devils were changed, they began to reproduce with not only one another, but also with humans. However that was quickly outlawed, as the half-breeds were considered disgusting, and any bastard child found by a high ranking devil would immediately be executed. As time went on, the magic that had turned the first Devils into their new form, began to form in their children, infecting their genes so that they would be born normally. After that, every devil born looked like a normal human, with of course magical abilities and wings. 

Once again, why does this all matter? Well, a devil, when it disobeys its master and begins to kill its own kind, becoming bloodthirsty and out of control, begins to change. Free will is fine for a devil, however when a devil becomes to blood thirsty, to hungry for blood, it begins to revert to its original state. In turn, this means that it becomes a demon, it's body going from a normal devil, into the monstrous form of it's descendants. 

The stray devil that had appeared out of the shadows, had reverted back to his descendants former form. From the waist down, the Devils body had changed into that of what resembled a centipede. Dark brown claws served as a second pair of arms below the waist, and below that the legs of what would be a centipedes. The Devils centipede like body was a dark brown, resembling armor, that made a soft and dull sound as it moved together, like armor clinking together. 

The boy stared in fear as the devil grinned down at him, it's hundreds of legs making soft, tapping sounds as they walked along the dirt. "Don't run from me, boy.......I don't mean to hurt you....." The devil hissed, it's claws snapping impatiently as he neared the terrified boy. 

Keira unsheathed a short sword and a dagger, legs crouched and ready to jump down. Sarinas hands glowed dully with a green energy, a spell that was charging up, ready to fire at the devil. However, before either of the girls could engage on the stray, a sickening 'CRACK' resounded throughout the area, followed by what sounded like ripping paper. 

The boys crying and sobs suddenly stopped, no longer filling the air. 

"No...." 

Sure enough, the stray devil grinned as he raised the boys headless body above the ground and high into the air. The boys head had been crushed inwards and ripped off, left on the ground where the boys eyes stared up at the sky, empty and with fear in them. 

The duo watched in stoic shock as the stray devil than began to eat the boys body, tearing apart his clothes and using his teeth to rip into delicate flesh. 

Keira's hands clenched down hard on the weapons, trying hard to keep herself from screaming. They had found the stray, but stray Devils were always more powerful than when they were normal Devils. To kill this creature and avenge the young boy, Keira needed to find its weakness. Eyes scanning the creature, Keira could see that, like any other form of armor, it had little chinks in between, where a dagger or sword, even a spell could slip through if aimed correctly. 

The pink haired woman growled angrily and was about to attack, but Sarina beat her to it. The raven haired girl raised a hand and fired off a spell. The spell sent out a green ball of energy that slammed into the centipede like devil, throwing it off balance. 

A startled grunt of pain left the devil as it was thrown off balance, barely able to not fall over as it tried to regain control. Keira quickly dropped from the trees and landed on the stray, digging her dagger into its shoulder to keep herself steady, while she held up her sword and began to bring it down. The devil howled in pain, thrashing about wildly, knocking Keira off balance, unable to attack him. Keira tried her best to hold on, however her hand slipped and she was forced off, being sent flying through the air. 

Keira instinctively twisted mid-air, landing in a crouch on a trees branch, digging her sword into the trunk to keep herself from falling off. 

Sarina followed up the attack with a series of powerful spells, shooting green blasts of energy that forced the devil to step back. The stray devil growled angrily as he looked up at his attacker. Snarling like a wild animal, the devil curled up like a spring before launching himself forward, towards Sarina. 

The raven haired woman barely managed to jump out of the way before the devil came crashing through the branches and leaves. The devil growled as he flew through the air, using his claws and legs to dig into the trees and slow him down, eventually making him stop ontop of a tree not to far away. 

Keira, who had retrieved her weapons and was eager to fight, was confused as to where the creature had gone. That was, until the devil came, once again crashing back through the tree tops, with Sarina on-top of it, holding onto its shoulders. 

The devil reared up as it landed back onto the ground, trying to knock the woman off her back. Sarina dug her nails into the devil to keep herself from falling, but just like Keira, was eventually thrown off, similarly twisting in the air to land on the ground. 

The stray devil turned to face its assailants, glaring at Sarina before looking at Keira, who had equipped a bow, notching in arrow and aiming it. Whistling wind signaled an arrow being let loose, and the ripping sound of the arrow piercing through flesh alerted any nearby creatures of its course. The arrow however was not meant to simply pierce, oh no. Like a claw, the arrow sent out spikes to dig into the Devils hip, where it had imbedded itself, staying firmly in place. 

Screeching in pain, the devil opened its mouth and roared at them. Like the petals of a flower opening up, the Devils mouth split open, and out came a torrent of flame. 

"NASIO!" The word rippled through the air, powerfully resonating as a magical barrier was immediately placed down, keeping the torrent of flames at bay. Sarina held up her hands and continued to speak words of power to keep the shield strong, while Keira only leaned against a tree, grinning. "Keira, I don't really mind you being happy, but I could use some HELP KILLING THIS FREAKING DEMON!!" Sarina growled as she waved one hand in a circular motion, which made a blast of wind force the devil back, briefly stopping the onslaught of fire. 

Keira simply smiled and shook her head. "Nope~!" Keira teasingly said before raising a small remote and pointing it towards the stray, which had begun to walk toward them. "Watch this." The pink haired woman said before pressing a button on the remote. A soft 'beeping' sound was immediately heard, and the devil stopped to look down at the arrow imbedded in him. "Huh?" The devil questioned. 

"BOOM." An explosion rocked the ground, a soft 'THUD' following it. 

The arrow had exploded, severing the Devils top half, to his bottom half, the top half slumping to the ground before laying still. 

"YOU COULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT EARLIER?!" Keira growled, turning on her friend.

"I was going to, but you seemed to be having fun, so I didn't do anything." 

"I WAS BEING ATTACKED!" 

Keira shrugged and motioned to the lifeless body of the devil. "In any case, it's dead. Can we please go home now?" Keira asked, flinching as something cold and small landed on her hand. Looking up at the darkened skies, a droplet of water landed on the raven haired woman's nose, sliding down her nose as she looked down. "Fine.......and by the way, your buying us dinner." Sarina said, turning her back on her friend. 

Keira's eyes widened as she ran after her fellow devil. "W-what?! Hey! That's not fair! We had a deal that if we killed it before it rained, YOU would buy dinner! Hey! Are you even listening to me?! HEY!" 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

"Mm......cheesy goodness! Come to mama!" Keira mumbled, grinning as she greedily bit into her hamburger, extra cheesy. Sarina silently glared at Keira, as though she could will the woman to eat in a more disciplined manner, though she eventually sighed and gave up. 

Keira pulled away from her burger, leaning against the velvety soft, red couch and kicking her boots up on the beautiful, ornate brown coffee table in front of the couch. A loud sigh followed the woman's actions, making said woman turn to Sarina. "What's the matter sprinkles?" Keira questioned, smiling as her friend turned towards her and glared at her. "I told you to not call me that......and the matter, is that your dirtying the table by putting your feet on them. Take them off." 

Keira snorted defiantly and crossed her legs. "Why should I sprinkles? I've come over to your house ever since we were barely walking, and I've always done this, why is it different now?" Sarina rolled her eyes, huffing unhappily. "Because, maybe you haven't noticed, but there are these things called manners. It's what normal people have. You should try and learn a few of them." 

Another defiant snort, another bite of a burger. "Nah, I'm good. Thanks for the tip though." 

Sarina grumbled a few choice words under her breath, but eventually got over the fact she would never be able to change her headstrong friend. "So, I was-" 

Trumpets rang through the air in unison, similar to those in medieval times, that would signal the arrival of a king or queen. Sarina quickly stood up, grabbing Keira and rolling her off the couch, quickly tidying things up before smiling widely. 

"Hey! That wasn't nice!" Keira growled as she stood up, wiping crushed hamburger off of her shirt. "SHHHH!" Sarina hissed to her. 

A short man came through the door that lead into the living room, where Keira and Sarina had been relaxing. Adorned in a handsome blue suit, slick, greaser style hair, the man approached them. "Sarina, daughter of Domenic and Kianna Dillon, of the House Dillon." The man gave her a short bow, before turning a judging eye to Keira. "And Keira......daughter of Adrienne and Adeline Vander, of the house Vander." 

Said woman snorted and gave the man a nod. "Sup." 

"Yes......well, you are both cordially invited by Lord Edward Mixon himself to the upcoming ball Friday night. He hopes to see you both there. He also asks that you wear clothing appropriate for the ball this time, Keira. He does not want a repeat of last time."

Sarina nodded and grinned. "Don't worry, I'll keep her in line this time." 

The short man nodded once before turning and motioning for the four other men waiting outside, with trumpets, to pack up and leave. 

As the men began to get her their things and excuse themselves, Sarina turned to her friend. "So, you think your up for a ball?" Keira grinned and pumped her fist in the air."LETS PARTY!"


	2. The grand ball!

"Do I have to wear this? I look like a Barbie doll......and you know how much I hate barbies. Seriously, I want to just punch myself in the face for looking like this." A certian pink haired woman growled, fingers twitching uneasily, hoping to rip away the dress that she wore. 

"Yes, you do have to wear the dress. It's a ball, not a highshool party, now shut up and get over it. Plus, you look so cute it in~!" Another woman's voice replied, walking along side the first, who growled unhappily. 

"Sometimes I really hate you, you know that Sarina?" The raven haired woman only smiled, looking away from the pink haired girl to look upon their parents who were walking ahead of them. Dominic and Kianna Dillon walked arm in arm, smiling a white-toothed smile. Dominic, Sarinas father, was a rugged and tall man with a short, trimmed beard and curly black hair. The man was handsome, with hardly any blemishes besides a scar that ran vertically across his left cheek, from a fight he never talked about. His wife, Kianna, had similar, raven black hair that flowed down her back like a waterfall. The woman was short, with fair, creme colored skin. She was a kind woman who spoke little, and always smiled. 

The pair besides them, the Vanders, were......different. The Dillon clan was known for being a kind and business like clan, respected by the other 72 clans and famous in the human world for being the owners of Dillon corporations. The Vanders, however, were the complete opposite. While they were still respected and were no less honored, they weren't liked as much as the Dillion's were. You see, the Vanders were a family that based themselves on......themselves. While Vanders looked out for their own, they rarely helped anyone other than friends or family, even in the worst case scenarios. However, that wasn't what set them apart from the other pillars. The Vanders are greatest known for having silver tongues that snapped at anything end everyone. They were quick to put down others, clawing away the bravado and pride others had for themselves and revealing the naked truth. Each Vander had a unique silver tongue that always spoke their mind, no matter how rude or hurtful it seemed. The Vanders motto was, "If another should need my help, i refuse to offer them a hand should they need it. If they have legs, they pick their own seleves up. Why should i stain my hands with the filth of the weak?"

As if that wasn't enough, the clan was notorious for their lack of care of anyone else's opinions. Each generation did what they wanted to do, became what they wanted to become, and so on and so forth, and no ones opinion was gonna stop them. That was the reason that Keira was the way she was. A tomboyish, strong girl that cared about few people and never cared what anyone thought of her.

Like her father, Keira had the startling pink hair that singled her out as a Vander. Keiras father himself was a battle hardened man with an Elvis Presley style haircut. Sharp, calculating green eyes scanned every living thing, as though wondering what he could gain from killing or selling it. Many other clans believed the man to be a liar, all bark and no bite, making fun of him for his pink hair. However, they were quickly quieted, especially when their jaws were broken and made useless for the rest of their lives. Adrienne wasn't a cold-hearted man however, and made an example out of those who made fun of him and were unfortunate enough to stumble upon him.....alone. After making a name for himself, and getting to be known a bit more, no one doubted that the man had been in more battles than he could count. 

Adrianne's hands were calloused from physical labor, his body strong and muscular, the pitch black suit he wore barely containing the raw power beneath. Surprisingly, the mans face was untouched by any scars, which gave a few a bit of evidence for those brave enough to wonder if the man was indeed lying about the battles. Than again, Keira had said she once saw her father without a shirt on, and the scars she had seen on his body nearly covered every inch of his skin, or so she said. 

Adeline, Adrienne's wife and the mother of Keira, was a undoubtedly beautiful woman, with deceivingly gentle brown eyes. Short red hair bobbed with each step of the woman's surprisingly silent high heels. She was adorned with a black dress that complimented her tanned skin nicely. Unlike Kianna, Adeline was not so kind, and made it clear that while she wouldn't attack unless provoked, if provoked, she would make sure you would either die, or destroy your body so much you would wish you had. A slit was cut along one side of Adeline's dress, revealing a bit of leg that had most men in range drooling. The cut also allowed for easier movements without getting tangled up in a normal, flimsy dress, that wouldn't allow the woman to kick her opponents. Being unable to break a persons jaw with one kick to the face? Satan forbid that happen!

Adeline, while not many knew, had a little rivalry against Kianna. Well, it was not necessarily a rivalry, she just didn't like her. Adeline considered Kianna weak and pathetic, thinking her kindness to be a sign of fear and submission. Kianna, on the other hand, considered Adeline stubborn and rude, in need of a lesson and perhaps a hug if she needed one. The women had a small grudge against each other, and while they didn't always see eye to eye, they were still very close. The men were the same, getting along very well with one another, understanding each others strengths, but also disagreeing with the ways they handled things. Unlike their wives however, they did not fight one another, though they had gotten into one to many heated arguments, which usually ended in them laughing it off and changing the subject to something not as prone to an argument. 

"You know I never thought uncle would throw another ball like this one, especially not after what happened when I was six." Sarina mumbled, pondering why her uncle would ever throw a ball like this one. 

"Wait, what happened when you were six?" Keira questioned curiously, turning an inquisitive eye on her friend. 

Dominic chuckled and looked over his shoulder, grinning mischievously. "Oh......nothing of importance. Let's just say that Sarina used to have a temper, and you did not want to meet her when she was angry." Adeline scoffed and shook her head, red tresses bobbing as she did so. "Nothing of importance? Really Dominic? Please.......the little rat was angry and upset because DADDY didn't want to give her a toy. So, she decided to throw a tantrum. At the time, she didn't know her own strength, and ended up blowing the place roof off of the place. Your uncles stinkin' rich, so not like it mattered, he could rebuild it anyways, but still, she nearly blew us all up. That's not the way I want to die, no thank you." 

Keira snickered and covered her mouth with one hand to keep herself from bursting into laughter, though the giggles and struggling snickers betrayed her. Sarina huffed and turned on the Vander besides her. "Hey! It's not funny ok?! Stop laughing!" 

"Now that I think about it she was also a pimply little girl....." Adeline mused, receiving what might have been an amused grunt from Adrienne. Now Keira was dying of laughter, tears forming at the edges of her eyes as she bent over and held her stomach. It was clear to everyone that Keira was trying desperately to keep herself from crying, and if she didn't calm down, she would most likely end up falling to the ground, crying tears of laughter. Sarina on the other hand looked ready to stab her. 

"ITS NOT FUNNY! STOP LAUGHING!" 

"Y-your right....aha....i-it's not f-funny.....its HILARIOUS! A PIMPLY LITTLE SARINA WITH A TEMPER?! AHAHAAH!" 

"Why you-" 

"Enough." A deeper, stronger voice commanded. The voice sent chills down everyone's backs, and while it held no anger or violent intentions, it was clearly a command, not a request. "Stop your laughing, daughter of mine. I do not want to be late for such an eventful night, especially when the Palmers are to be attending. It is with great joy that your mother and I are eager to see those sorry whelps faces when we appear." Keira ceased her laughter, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand in order to erase the evidence of her laughter. Thankfully she wasn't wearing make up, even after an hour of Sarinas whining and begging. It seemed that while Keira could be forced into a dress, make up was an entirely different level. 

Thankful for the discontinuation of laughter against her, Sarina smiled once more and calmed down, giving Keiras father a nod of her head as a thank you. Adrienne nodded back, before turning his face away and front. They walked along for a minute or so, lights flashing brightly not far off in the distance. Another minute and they had come upon a large, sprawling mansion. Golden gates loomed before them, and behind them, a world of luxury few could ever hope to achieve. 

"Welcome, Madame and Sir Vander." A tall, young man in a butler looking outfit greeted, bowing before quickly opening one of the large gates. The golden gate groaned in protest as it was opened, allowing the Vanders to step inside. Adrienne gave the man a nod, while his wife gave him a cold glare, grinning mischievously at the mans uncomfortable and undoubtedly scared reaction. Keira gave the man a pat on the head, smiling. "Dont be afraid dude, she doesn't bite........to hard at least." That didn't help the obviously newbie butler, and he shivered at the thought of being bitten. For all he knew, the Vanders had metal teeth and weren't afraid to use them. 

"No need to tremble like a chihuahua boy! The woman isn't going to attack you, they are simply pushing your buttons." Dominic slapped the boy on the back, and while it was meant to be a friendly gesture, it did little to calm the young man, who's face had gone pale. 

Making their way past the golden gates and now terrified butler, they marveled at the interior of the mansion, well more specifically the courtyard of it. A garden full of flowers and plants of all kinds lay to the west of them, with a small white arch acting as the entry way. In front of them was a large fountain that sprouted water into a deep pond, full of dazzling fish;swimming around in a lovely pattern. The setting sun cast a dazzling orange over the fish, not only making their scales sparkle like diamonds, but also creating a orange glow that astonished those who saw it. 

"What a lovely sight!" Dominic exclaimed, eyes scanning the area, to the east, where a small, grassy area was laid out with games and other things for later on. "Don't get to excited, we still haven't seen the inside of it. For all we know the old codgers using this little display to cover our eyes away from the disgusting interior." Adeline replied, not to impressed with the fountain nor the garden.   
"Always a ray of sunshine aren't you?" Dominic commented, a bright smile in his face as he continued onwards, knowing if he didn't take Kianna away from the situation she would begin to argue with Adeline. Moving onwards, Keira and Sarina moved around their parents, hurrying to the looming doors that lay wide open. Light shined out of the double doors, as though a giant was holding a flashlight and shining it through. Blinking the glare away from their eyes, Sarina and Keiras eyes widened as they stepped through the double doors and into the mansion. 

It was something out of a fantasy novel. The floors were made of a beautiful tile flooring so clean it sparkled like a diamond and reflected the ceiling. The ceiling was a peach color, with paintings adorning it. Long tables with red covers hiding the table legs were packed tightly together in long rows against adjacent walls. Platters of delicious snacks and sweets adorned the platters, piling upon one another in such a graceful way it might've been an art form. Nobles from every pillar were attending the party, from the Gremorys, to the lesser known, like the Wogs. 

A band was playing music somewhere, though Sarina could not see them, but she could certainly hear them. The classical music of a violin, flutes and other musical instruments filled the halls, allowing the place to seem lively and calm. "If you will excuse me, I'm gonna stuff my face into that chocolate fountain....." Keira said, before dashing away to a table with not only a chocolate fountain, but a cheese fountain. Before Sarina could stop her, someone stepped in between them. "Sarina!" 

Looking up at the fall figure that had intervened, her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my goodness! Grandpa! I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you were over seas with grandma." Sarinas grandfather, Joseph Dillon, smiled kindly and gave her a warm hug. The man had a bushy white beard that wiggled when he laughed, a cheery face and gentle brown eyes. If he had been wearing a red coat and had a bag slung over his shoulder, he could've passed for Santa Claus. 

"And miss all this? Come now, you know me better than that." Sarina pulled away from her grandfather, smiling happily at him. "Where's grandma?" As if to answer her question, a woman screamed loudly, startling people around her. 

"MY BABY!" Sarina turned to look for the voice but couldn't even look over her shoulder before she was sucked into a bone crushing hug. "IVE MISSED YOU SO MUCH! HOW ARE YOU!? HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WELL WITHOUT GRAN-GRAN?!" Sarina wiggled in the tightening embrace, her lungs being crushed as she struggled to breathe. "Air...." Sarina whispered, feeling herself slowly slipping away before air finally returned to her lungs. Sucking in a gulp of refreshing oxygen, the raven haired girl turned to look at her grandmother. 

Fair white skin with only the lightest of wrinkles, a flashy, jolly smile, and excited blue eyes made up Sarinas grandmother. Her hair was short, down to her shoulders, and a light brown. "Hi grandma! Thanks for not making me go unconscious." The older woman pouted at the teasing, huffing and looking away. "I missed you and you looked like you needed a hug. Plus, I deserve a good hug! We haven't seen each other for ages! Look at you! My little Sarina! All grown up! 18 years old and looking good! Do you have a boyfriend yet? Oh! What's his name?" The questions came like a dam being broken down, a torrent that the young lady could not hold back nor respond to. It was only until Sarinas grandfather intervened that the excited grandmother stopped spitting questions like a machine gun firing bullets. 

"You must calm down dear, I know your excited to see our niece but your asking so many questions she can't keep up! Please Jane, allow Sarina to answer a question before moving onto the next." Joseph softly said, standing behind his wife, who he hugged softly. Because Joseph was taller, he was able to rest his bushy beard on Janes head, making the couple look cute. "But I'm so curious! I haven't seen Sarina in such a long time and I must know what she's been up to! Life must've been so hard without gran gran around! But it's ok, because I'm back! Now I can cook and clean and make everything better, ok?" Sarina wanted to respond, but her grandmother released another onslaught of questions before she had a chance to say anything. 

"Jane please. You really need to control your curiosity." Joseph mumbled, though his cheeky smile betrayed his tone. "Oh shut up......" Jane growled back, huffing and turning a curious eye towards her grand-daughter. "So-" Jane was cut off as Joseph gently picked her up, Jane squeaking in surprise. "How about we go outside, I think Sarina can answer your questions later." Sarina gave her grandfather a thankful nod before hurrying away. 

More and more nobles filed into the mansion, each dressed in formal attire that distinguished them from everyone else. All heads turned, and a few faces frowned, as a certain person came dashing through the doors. "BOW BEFORE ME! I AM THE PONY GOD!" A mans voice broke the once serene air that filled the ballroom. "M-my lord, please, you musn't be so loud." A woman's voice spoke up from behind the man. The man wore a long red cape, baggy jeans, a giraffe hat, face paint of a cat and a bra, no shirt. "SILENCE WOMAN! I MUST BE KNOWN! HELLO MY LOYAL SUBJECTS! IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU!" 

Sighing, the woman ran a hand through dark blue tresses before motioning for another, shorter woman to take care of the man, while she made her way to the food. "Been a long time Zay." Keira greeted the blue haired woman who had poured herself a generous helping of wine. Zay turned to Keira and grinned. "Well well, never thought I would see my cousin in a dress. You look hideous by the way." Rolling her eyes, the pink haired girl gave her cousin a fist bump. "Shut up, I'm only wearing this because of Sarina. Believe me, I wouldn't be wearing this otherwise." 

"Sarina? Oh yea, your girlfriend. You two have sex yet?" Vanders didn't hold back, and it was at times like these that Keira really hated her family. Quickly slapping a hand over her cousins mouth, she looked around for the all clear. "Would you shut up? Firstly, she's my childhood friend, not my lover. Secondly, I'm only in this dress because if I wasn't, I wouldn't be allowed to be here. And thirdly, fuck you."

Zay smirked and shrugged her shoulders, pushing away the hand covering her mouth. "Say whatever you want to, but I can see a connection between you two. I think you would make a good couple. I mean, just look at that-" Zay couldn't finish her sentence, a punch colliding with her gut in record time. "Ok.......I get it...."' Keira, now satisfied, grinned and motioned towards the man who had entered. "So how's our cousin?" 

The man, their cousin, was on top of an empty table preaching about the great beginning and how their lord and savior, the pony God, would arrive one day and deliver them from all evil. "George? Oh, excuse me, King of the ponies. Well, he's fine, and from the looks of it, those poor Devils aren't. He's seen better days, but than again, haven't we all?" George, as he was called, suddenly screamed as if he was being attacked. "I FEEL THE POWER OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR! BOOM SHAKALAKA! OH YES! MMMMM! PONY LORD, GIVE ME THE POWER OF A PROPHET! ALLOW ME TO PREACH TO THESE INNOCENT SOULS!" George fell to his knees, his entire body trembling and shaking like a chihuahuas. After a few moments of shaking and trembling, the king of ponies looked up, his eyes wide with what looked to be indescribable happiness. George mumbled something that no one could hear, and a few Devils leaned in closer to hear better. Goerge jumped up, a bright smile on his face, tears at the edges of his eyes. "OUR LORD HAS SPOKEN! COME! WE HAVE OUR MISSION!" And with that, the lord of ponies jumped off the table and dashed away, out the door and into the night, with Zay and a few worried Devils chasing after him. Just another normal day........kind of. 

The party continued fairly well after that.......amazing display of prophecies and kingship. Zay, the king of ponies and the others that had come with them didn't come back, though the nobles of the other pillars did, winded and with bright smiles on their faces. And people said Devils were cruel and horrible creatures. Hah! Keira, after finishing her abrupt conversation with her elder cousin, had decided to look for someone to threaten into giving her stuff. Sarina, on the other hand, was busy greeting the other nobles and her family members, speaking with them and reminiscing over good times in the past. 

Now, who had she met so far? So far, Sarina had met her distant cousin, Jacob of the 36th house Hampion. Her grandparents from her dads side, Jane and Joseph. She had briefly said hello to her grandpa on her mothers side, Caleb, before he hurried off to do something he wouldn't explain. His wife had died a few years back, and while he was still a jolly man, he was never really the same again. Sarina had also met her crazy Uncle Sam, who was currently running from a few of the security men. 

"EHEHEEH! You'll never catch me feller! HAHA! Oh look! A goose!" Sam hopped up onto a table and grabbed onto some invisible item with both hands, which quickly brought him soaring across the room. "SLOW DOWN BESSY! EASY GIRL!" He hollered as he flew around, a crazy grin on his face. Sam usually wasn't invited to parties, he just kind of showed up from nowhere and caused trouble, though many did enjoy his actions (as long as they weren't towards them of course). 

However, out of all the people she'd met, the one who she hoped to see had not shown up yet. Edward, or as he was better known, Lord Edward Mixon of the 42nd house, her uncle, had not shown himself yet. His wife, who was a lover of parties and a graceful woman, had not been seen either. While Sarina would not question what was taking so long, she hoped to see her dear uncle, since she hadn't seen him since......well since she nearly blew everyone to smithereens. 

Sighing, the raven haired girl took a seat on a lone table. Sarina took note that, while the Devils who were at the mansion so far, did not have their peerages with them. Come to think of it, her father didn't bring his peerage either. No.......no he did, but they were in the shadows, watching and waiting for the time to defend him against any attackers. Looking around, she suddenly felt uneasy, wondering how many Devils actually were in the mansion, each with fingers itching to protect their respective masters. 

"What's wrong sonny?" A croaky, high pitched but excited voice asked. Squeaking in surprise, the startled Sarina turned her face, staring into happy brown eyes. 

"U-uncle Sam?" 

Laughing, said man slapped his knee and did a little dance before grinning widely and looking back at her. "THATS A ME! Yer uncle Shamu! How you doin Sharon?" Where had he come from? Wasn't he being chased by security? How did he even get so close to her without her hearing him? 

"Sarina......" Said woman slowly corrected. 

"Sandy." Sam quickly confirmed. 

"Right....so......uncle......what's up?" Sarina looked her uncle up and down, seeing that he was wearing overalls, a button up red shirt and torn, short brown pants. Something clicked in the raven haired girls mind, and realization came to her eyes as softly as a train smacking into her. Her Uncle Sam was upside down. No, he wasn't doing a handstand, he was in the air, upside down. His feet were anchored, as if he was standing on something solid. 

Sam laughed and ran around, his feet making soft taps as if he was on the ground, even if he was running in the air. "I'm just enjoying the party! But you, Samantha, look opposite of happy. What's-" Sam stopped speaking as an angry yell echoed around the room. "THERE HE IS! GET HIM!" The lead security man growled, rushing forward, along with the other men. Sam squeaked and turned to his niece. "Gotta run girl! Let's go BESSY!" Sam turn and began to run.......or at least his bottom half did. Sam's top half turned the other way and bobbed unsteadily away, Sams arms pumping as if he was running, even though he was detached from the rest of his body. 

"Not even gonna ask....." Sarina mumbled, rubbing her eyes to make sure what she just saw was real. Sure enough, there was her uncles......lower half......fighting off a few confused but still angry security guards who were trying to not get kicked in the face. Sams top half was holding onto a table leg, yelling and screaming as the security tried to pry him off of the table leg without knocking the table and all its food over. Sarina was about to go and help them, when trumpets began to play. These weren't the soft and soothing trumpets of the band playing, these were much louder and playing in harmony, signaling the arrival of a noble, as it had done when Sarina and Keira had received their invitations. 

The mansion was more than two stories, and so a large set of stairs lead upwards along the left side of the building, splitting up at a door, where they went left and right and continued upwards. The doors, which had a chimera (the symbol of the house Mixon) outlined in gold at the center, slowly creaked inwards. Every noble that had attended the party held their breath, waiting for the owners of the house to show their faces. 

They were not disappointed. Out from the darkness emerged two figures, both clad in formal attire. The one on the left, a man with a bright and cheerful smile, stepped forward, waving at the people who had grouped up at the edge of the stairs. The figure besides him, a woman with the same, bright smile, didn't move from her place. It was Lord Mixon and his wife, Cindy. "Welcome! Welcome one and all!" Edward boomed, laughing heartily as cheers arose from his fellow Devils. Edward was dressed in a blue suit, with a white tie and white boots. Grayish hair slicked to the side, fair skin with only a few wrinkles, Lord Mixon was a handsome devil. His wife was dressed in a fluffy green dress that brushed along the floor in the slightest of ways. Her chocolate brown hair was in luscious, short curls that glistened and reflected light as if they were made of metal. "Welcome, family and friends! It is a pleasure to see you all! I'm glad you could make it! Let me tell you, it is a hassle to keep my hands away from the food. If Cindy wasn't besides me, the food would be gone!" Edward laughed heartily, the other nobles laughing as well. 

Chuckling, Lord Mixon motioned for them to be quiet. "Now, I hope you have enjoyed the ball so far. However, as fun as it is, a ball is not a ball without dancing, correct? So, let us dance!" Music began to play immediately, a classical and upbeat tune that had the nobles dancing cheerfully with one another, creating a large crowd of Devils with gleeful smiles, each breaking a move on the dance floor. Sarina pushed past the sea of Devils, hurrying up the stairs to the open arms of her uncle. "Uncle!" Sarina yelled happily as she gave him a large hug. 

"Oh, Sarina! How are you my dear? Sorry we took so long. We planned on being here before the guests arrived, but a few......things came up." Sarina shrugged and smiled. "It's alright, I was just worried I wouldn't be able to see you and auntie!" Cindy hugged her niece softly, rubbing her back as they pulled away. "I'm glad your here. Now, go on and have fun. No point in coming to a fancy ball if you don't have any fun, right?" Cindy and her niece laughed at this before sending the raven haired young woman away to have fun. 

Sarina looked for Keira, and wasn't surprised to see her still hanging around the tables, like a moth attracted to light. She was currently munching on a cracker, a bright smile on her face as she looked for her next meal. "Hey, I understand that the food was meant to be eaten, but I'm pretty sure it was meant to be eaten by everyone, not by just one girl." Sarina teased, startling Keira out of her food crazed state. She tried to say something, but couldn't, and so swallowed before continuing. "Hey, maybe so, but do you see anyone else eating this good stuff? If no ones gonna eat it, someone's gotta, or else it's a waste of food. I don't like to let food go to waste, and it would be a shame to see these donuts going down the drain......." Keira trailed off as she walked over to some hot and ready donuts, which made both their mouths water at the delicious scent. 

Snapping herself out of the daze, Sarina quickly grabbed Keira and pulled her away before she could dig in. "Come on! Let's dance! You can eat later!" 

Sarina laughed as she danced with Keira, both enjoying themselves as they danced to their own beat. The other Devils, each from high and important families, let loose and also danced. Some danced to the music, while others simply danced to dance, not caring what others thought at the moment. Kianna and Dominic danced together, working in beautiful harmony that had those around them gasping and staring in awe. Adeline and Adrienne would be dancing, but they were to busy putting Mr.Palmer, master of the 48th house Palmer, into his place.The dancing continued for a long while, and half way though, Sarina and Keira decided to sit down and rest, a bit winded. "Oh man........who knew these stuck up people knew how to dance!" 

Both laughed at the comment, relaxing back into their seats, watching the other nobles dance with one another to the constantly changing beat of the band. A flash of movement caught a certain raven haired girls eyes. Now, there were plenty of Devils dancing and making their way around the mansion, but one devil caught her eyes. A tall figure stood out amongst the rest, walking silently among the crowd of dancing people. The figure was a young man, with a messy wave of short black hair. He looked to be about 5'8, tall, and well built. Now what caught Sarinas eyes was not the way he looked, not his fair face and sky blue eyes. What caught Sarinas attention, was the way he looked around him. He seemed out of place, the way his eyes scanned the area, as if looking for something that was not there. A frown seemed to be permanently painted on his face. It was not a displeased frown, but a tired frown, as if he had gone through a lot and needed rest. 

Tired eyes, well built, scanning eyes and a tired frown.........what was wrong? If he was from a noble house, he would not be looking so sullen, nor would he look so out of place. He wore a suit, just like the others, black and well kept. Curiosity and a bit of worry passed over the young Dillon's face. It was not uncommon for assassins to enter parties such as these and attempt to kill one of the richer nobles. While it was very rare, and even rarer that a devil ever died, the possibility was still there, and so Sarina quickly hurried to her uncles side, who was dancing with his wife. "Uncle, uncle, do you by any chance know who that man is?" 

Lord Edward Mixon, master of the household, turned towards his niece, a bright smile always on his face. "Hmm? Oh! That young man? Well he's one of my many servants. His name is Luther. Luther! Come here my boy!" At his names calling, said man approached, bowing his head ever so slightly in greeting to Edward. "Luther, I would like you to meet my Niece, Sarina. Sarina, this is one of my..........best......servants." Edward said, grinning as Luther gave him a cold glare. It was strange, and very worrisome to see somebody unhappy with Edward. 

Lord Mixon was recognized as one of the kindest Devils around, only second to the Gremorys, who took their kindness a bit too far in Sarinas opinion. So why was his servant, perhaps one of the luckiest Devils in the world to live in such a gentle and kind luxurious life, giving his master such a cold and angry glare? It was off putting, and Sarina felt a shiver go down her spine. "Oh, don't be so unhappy Luther~! Turn that frown upside down!" Cindy said cheerfully, walking up to Luther and gently cupping his face. She leaned in close however, and whispered something Sarina could not hear, only catching a few words. "Be a good boy, hmm?" Luther, as he was called, was now clenching his hands into fists as he forced a tight lipped smile. "Of course.......mistress.......is there anything else I can help you with?" Cindy shook her head. "No, we're done here. How about you go and clean up the stables, hmm?" 

Luthers cold glare did not lessen, though a flicker of disgust flashed across his face, before he bowed his head and stiffly walked away, disappearing into the crowd. 

"W-wait, you have-" Sarina began to ask, but was quickly cut off by her aunt. 

"Don't you worry about it dear. Now how about you run along and have some fun eh? I want to show your uncle I still got it." Cindy happily said, though she was clearly ordering Sarina to leave. "S-sure......" The raven haired girl mumbled, walking back to the table, where Keira sat, no food surprisingly around her. "What's with the long face? Oh, and I haven't eaten anything, if that's what your wondering." No response was given, simply a thoughtful and unsure stare. "Hey, earth to Sarina. You there?" The young Vander softly poked her friends cheek. Not sure if she should slap her or let her sit there in silence. A quick decision was made and executed, the result resounding in a loud 'SLAP!'. 

"Ouch! What the heck?!" Sarina growled, rubbing her now red cheek. "You were staring off into space, and you wouldn't respond, so I snapped you out of whatever hypnosis you were in." Keira flatly stated, holding up her hands innocently. "Anyways, what's up? You look all scared and sad. Isn't your uncle supposed to be like one of the nicest guys around? Why do you look down in the dumps?" The young Dillon sighed and ran a hand through her dark hair, leaning back against the chair she sat on. "I'm not sad it's just.......I don't know, I'm being stupid. Forget it. Let's just enjoy the rest of the ball. In fact, I'm gonna go get something to eat and maybe some punch." Keira nodded, throwing her feet on the now empty chair, relaxing and closing her eyes. "Bring me a donut! Mommas gotta craving for a snack~!" 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------the next day----------------------------------------------

The ball had gone well, it had been a success! The Devils who had attended loved it, and we're eager to return whenever they could. Lasting until well into the wee hours of the night, everyone returned home tired but happy. Keira had fallen asleep on a table, and was carried home by her father, while her mother fussed over how they didn't have enough time to make an example out of everybody. The Vanders returned home satisfied. Dominic and Kianna returned home with a tired daughter who was barely awake at the time. Kianna simply smiled and told Dominic how they were to attend many more parties such as that one. After all, it wasn't everyday you saw Dominic dance. Nonetheless, they returned home satisfied.

The next morning, Sarina awoke in her bedroom to a loud pounding. For a second, she thought it was her head, but soon realized the pounding was coming from the front door. Emerald green eyes turned sleepily to regard the clock sitting on its brown nightstand. The clock displayed the time, which was a quarter to 9. While Sarina preferred to sleep in whenever she could, especially when she wasn't busy doing all the homework her tutor gave her, she knew she had to get up and answer the door. Grumbling unhappily, the young Dillon made her way out of the comfort of the bedroom and down the long set of stairs, to the front door. 

Hard knocks continued to pound along oaken wood in earnest. "YEA! I know! Jeez! I'm going I'm going......." Sarina growled, grabbing the shining silver handle and throwing it open. "WHAT?" She demanded, glaring at the young man standing before her. "Oh.....what's with all the ruckus?" A gentle voice asked, soft footsteps accompanying it. "Pardon my intrusion madam-" Kianna held up a hand to silence the man. "Oh, don't be sorry. Please, enter and allow me to make you breakfast." The young man shook his head, but stepped in anyways. "Lady Kianna, Sarina, it is with a heavy heart that........that I tell you.......Lord Mixon and his wife have been proclaimed......dead." 

Silence followed, but was quickly followed by a thump, as Kianna fell to her knees. Sarina kneeled besides her mother, who was attemtping to keep a smile on her face, eyes wide with shock. Sarina was quick to hug her, looking over at the messenger. "Your telling me that my uncle is.......gone?" 

The young man nodded his head. 

"This morning, a servant found his body in a pool of blood. His wife's body was nailed to a wall, and both had signs of a not so swift end. Once again, with a heavy heart, I tell you both that Lord Mixon, is dead."


	3. the search

Sunlight shined through a large, open window, falling upon a lone figure. The figure relaxed comfortably on a wooden chair, the suns light shining down upon it. In the figures hands was what appeared to be a newspaper, though black, and instead of paper, it had the texture of granite. Setting the strange substance down, the figure reached into a beautifully decorated yellow bowl, pulling out a short, dark brown object. Upon closer inspection, the object turned out to be a peace of frozen and chocolate covered strawberry. 

Licking youthful pink lips, the figure brought the delicacy up to its lips, give it a tender kiss. Softly and sensually, the figure licked at the strawberry, lapping at the sweet, chocolate outside. Finally, the figure decided it had had enough, and slid the piece of strawberry past feminine lips, where it was quickly chewed and than swallowed with a satisfying sigh. Birds sang somewhere in the distance, a cool breeze blowing past the green tops of trees. Life was good, the moment serene. That was of course, until angry and unhappy footsteps boomed throughout the halls and room. "WHY MUST YOU AWAKEN ME AT THIS HOUR?!" 

Like a lions roar, the voice boomed loudly and deeply, gruff and baritone. Sighing, the first figure rubbed its ears softly. "Must you be so loud?" As if to spite it, the owner of the roaring voice burst threw the door, sending splinters flying as it charged forward. "WOMAN! WHAT IS SO DAMN IMPORTANT THAT I MUST BE AWOKEN AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR?!" 

The first figure, a woman, quirked an eyebrow, glancing to the sunny skies outside. "It's 15 minutes past noon......" She said, turning back to regard the angry figure now in front of her. "I DO NOT CARE! IF YOU HAVE NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE TO SHOW ME, THAN DO NOT CALL ME! BAH!" Turning to leave, the second figure growled and grumbled as it stomped away, nearing the broken entrance where a door barely hung on its now dented hinges. "Oh, I have something of importance, but your to stubborn and impatient to allow me to tell you....." The woman mused, not surprised when her companion didn't stop. 

"Adranmo." 

The world seemed to hold its breath at that name, and the figure which had left the room, slowly walked back in. "What did you just say?" The figure growled, fists clenching dangerously. Looking up at the taller figure, the woman grinned. "Oh nothing of importance......your the big strong man after all, so what I say doesn't matter. Go back to sleep." She could almost hear the sound of teeth grinding in annoyance. "Woman........" The mans voice was getting dangerous, and while she loved to tease him, she knew she was treading on thin ice. 

"Lord Edward Mixon died last night, at around 4 in the morning, after holding a beautiful ball in celebration.......for something, I don't quite remember what though." 

The hulking man stepped through the door, glaring daggers at her. "And?" He hissed, not happy with waiting for an answer. 

"Well........" The woman grabbed the black newspaper, flipping through it as if it was made of paper. Folding it, she held it up for the man to see. "Look who did it......" The man stepped closer, eyes narrowing as he stared at the image which flickered to life on the black paper. It was Lord Edward Mixons corpse, laying on the ground. There was movement around it, obviously from the other Devils who were trying to get clues, clean the place up and so on. But one thing stood out, something only he and the woman holding up the paper could see. 

"Adranmo." 

A pleased growl rumbled through the mans throat. "And so, our time of waiting is at an end. Shall we begin?" The woman smirked and shook her head, waving him off. "No, let us see what the young devil has in store for him. After all, to kill someone of nobility is usually a call too action. Someone's gonna want revenge, my dear. Someone's gonna be out for blood." Booming steps inched closer as the hulking figure sat across from the woman, putting both hands behind his head and bathing in the sunlight. "Very well, woman. We will wait.........." He reached over to grab one of the chocolate bananas slices, but a quick hand smacked the greedy fingers away. 

Looking to the woman, she smiled and shook her head. "No." 

\----------

The mysterious woman was right, as she tended to be. When someone dies, there will always be someone else who wants revenge, who wants the blood of the killer spilt onto the ground. However, even if someone wants revenge for the death of a family member or friend, it doesn't mean it's for the same reason. You see, when a devil of high power and nobility dies, there are those who go out on their own to avenge the one who died, and those who go out to get paid. What is meant by that, is that at times, other angry, rich Devils will place high reward bounties on the killers head. Whoever brings back the killer, dead or alive, will receive a large reward, which was usually in cash unless stated otherwise. 

That was the situation Sarina found herself in as she stood beside her pink haired friend in her uncles mansion, where the ball had been held. Already, many a noble devil had shown up, outraged at the death of such a loved man. Many were mourning over his death, and many were angry, yelling and declaring that they would have the killers head. That's where all the 'noble' servants and greedy Devils came in. Sarina wished for revenge, wished to avenge her uncles death. Keira wanted to help her. The other 30 or so Devils that stood around them, with devious and hidden smiles, we're looking for an opportunity to get easy money. 

"It's disgusting to see so many Devils from all other pillars here, simply in hopes of getting money......" Sarina growled, her fingers twitching in anticipation to blow them to smithereens. Of course, she wouldn't ever actually pull the trigger. To kill one of the high ranking heirs around her would end in more bloodshed, anger and unnecessary conflict. Sarina would keep herself calm and collected for now, and perhaps when there was no one around, she would show the disrespectful and greedy devils a lesson or two. Until then, the young Dillon was forced to hold her hand, and wait for the orders she was to be given. 

Soon, a group of men in pitch black suits, one of them being her father, appeared before them. "Gentlemen, ladies, you are gathered here because of what occurred last night. As you all know, our beloved Lord Edward Mixon, is dead......" Dominic choked up as he spoke, but quickly regained his composure and continued. "Now, you have all been gathered here for one reason. To avenge the death of Edward Mixon." A series of cheers and whoops erupted from the crowd before him. Dominic held up a hand to silence them before continuing. 

"Now, wanting to avenge the death of a loved one is one thing. Actually avenging the fallen, is another. You are here because not only is it an honor to avenge someone so loved, but because you are of the strongest. Of course, there are a few missing, such as the Gremorys, but no matter. You will all go out in search of the murderer, and you will find him and bring him to Lord Jax Pheonix, leader of the pheonix clan and father to Rizer pheonix. Now normally, one would bring the killer to the family of the deceased, however I would like you to take the killer to him. Lord Jax will see to it that the killer is put in jail and/Zoe killed as soon as possible. I wish you good luck in your hunting, and remember, if you are to kill him......" Dominic's hands clenched into fists at this. "Make that bastard suffer." 

Every devil volunteering to hunt down the killer cheered, Sarina joining in. Quickly, they spread their bat like wings, taking off into the air and out the door, where they spread out in search of the killer. Keira, master tracker she was, had studied the room where Edward had died in search of clues as to where the murderer had went. From what the young Vander could pick up, the killer had swiftly executed them and than left through a window, heading west, towards the forest where the stray devil they had killed had been. 

"Funny, don't you think? Stray Devils seem to always head for the forest, or abandoned places. And just like every other stray devil, we're gonna cut that filth down." Keira chuckled at Sarinas words, surprised such dark words could come from someone usually so cheerful. Than again, anyone who had just lost a loved one would act the same way. While most would depart on a hunting mission during the hours where the sun was still in the sky, the nobles had been to busy to gather everyone and send them off during the day light hours. And so, the hunters had been set out as the sun was setting in the sky, casting an orange glow over rooftops and across serene lakes. One would think the opportune time to hunt would be during the day, but for devils, the day light was a hindrance, and with little time, they only prepared what they needed and were ready to hunt.

As the pair flew, sunlight was quickly fading, their Devil night vision kicking in automatically for them. "How long do you think the stray could've gone? It's only been a day since the murder. Unless it ran nonstop all day, it could've have gotten that far." Keira wasn't to sure about that. While Sarina did have a point, she was wrong in one thing. Devils were powerful creatures, and to kill someone of nobility, not to mention one of such high power to be given the title of 'Lord', must mean that the devil was either very strong, or had help. There were clear signs of a struggle, no doubt about that, however from what Keira could pick up, it was a one man job. 

"From what I could pick up, sandy, the stray couldn't have gone to far. We should find it soon enough." Keira was trying to be reassuring, to loosen up the mood by making fun of Sarinas name. However, no response came forth from the woman. Not even a nod of the head to show she had heard. Keira knew it was hard to have lost someone so close, especially when that person had been there for your entire life. The young Vander knew that it was hard to lose a loved one, but she had never actually felt it. Yes, people had died in her life. Friends and family members had passed away, but she never really felt anything from it. She could blame her father for being so strict, teaching her to always be strong, but she didn't. Adrienne had done the best he could, and now, Keira was gonna do the best she could to help her friend. 

Hours passed by, the sun having gone down long ago. The moon had risen from its hiding place, illuminating the night sky. Stars shined softly in the darkness of the night, smiling down on earth and its inhabitants. Creatures of the night had come out of their hiding places, eager to get started. Normally, Devils were considered to be night creatures, but at the moment, all Keira wanted to do was rest. Her wings ached from the flying, Sarina deeming it fine to walk for a bit. But walking was also a pain, especially when there was no stopping and you had to run from time to time to keep up with the crazy raven haired girl. 

"Sarina......we need to stop and rest. I know you want to find the killer, but your not gonna find him by tiring yourself out. You need to rest, I need to rest. It's no good if we find the stray devil, weak and easy pickings. Come on Sarina, let's set up camp and continue in the morning." The raven haired woman stopped, turning her head to regard the young Vander. Sighing, she reluctantly nodded and motioned to get started. Normally it was Sarina who would stop the pink haired woman from continuing, and the whole the change was strange, it was welcome. "Alright than, I'll go get some wood for a fire. You just-" Sarina had beaten Keira to it. With a few magical words, and a hand gesture or two, the young Dillon had summoned everything needed for a camp. Two tents, rolls of blankets, bottles of waters, backpacks, food and other supplies. Keira chuckled and smiled. The perks of having a wizardly friend. 

Gathering the wood for a fire was quick, and soon enough, the orange flames were springing into the air, licking at the wood with an eagerness to spread. Trail mix was for dinner. While neither were too hungry, they still munched down the nuts and sweet raisins in silence. With the light of the moon and soft wind brushing against the treetops, the world seemed to be at peace. Keira enjoyed serene times like these. While chaotic explosions and food fights seemed more fun, it was times like these where she could truly kick back and relax, allowing her mind to be at ease. 

Sarina said nothing that night and was up early the next morning, eager to get started once again. Keira simply shrugged her shoulders and went with the flow, not bothering to argue with the admittedly stubborn mage. Anyone who knew the young Dillon personally knew that once she started something, she wasn't gonna stop. Three hours of flying, examining and occasionally splitting up and searching went by before any signs that they were any closer appeared. "Hey, check this out!" 

Quickly dropping to one knee, the pink haired girl examined what Sarina had found. A campfire had been built and quickly taken apart, leaving just the slightest burns on the ground that only trained eyes could spot. A few burnt leaves and sticks were sneakily hidden in bushes and under rocks. Keira was surprised Sarina had found this, as the mage wasn't known for her tracking skills. Than again, magic came in all shapes and sizes. For all she knew, a spell here and there could've unearthed this track. Rubbing some of the dirt in between deceivingly delicate fingers, a number of secrets were revealed.

"The strays definitely been here, but not for long. It was a quick set up and take down, probably to cook some food before heading out again." Both woman didn't want to imagine what kind of food the devil had eaten. "From what I can tell, this was......I'd say about 5 hours ago, give or take. The devil seems to be moving non stop, with little rest in between. It can't go on like this for long though, so we should be catching up-" 

Slow clapping set both women off, instinctively summoning their respected weapons. A dagger zoomed through the air, and would've imbedded itself into a Devils shoulder, had a spell not been quickly applied. Stone skin, as the spell was called, enveloped the devil in a grayish outline, deflecting the blade like a shield would. An annoyed sigh left both woman as they stared at the Devils in front of them. Shoulder length black hair, tanned, caramel colored skin and devious yellow eyes that glared at everything and everyone made up the.....thing standing in front of them.

"Oh......it's just you Stacey." 

"STAN! MY NAME IS STAN!" The young devil before them growled, glaring daggers at them. Keira snorted and waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever. What do you want snob?" Stan snarled like a dog, regaining his composure before speaking. "What do I want? Why that's hurtful. How could you accuse me of simply wanting to use you for your skills? You hurt me, Keira." Sarina rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Quit the innocent act. What is it your here for?" Stans innocent puppy dog eyes and pouting lip quickly changed into a scowl and angry yellow eyes. "I'm here to avenge the death of Lord Edward Mixon, just like you two......lower class Devils are." 

Stan was the son of Nicholas III, a greedy, selfish, scheming piece of shit that would throw his own father into a volcano for a dollar if he was still alive. Stans family, the Hemomins, were known for having a feud with the Vanders. Supposedly the Hemomins stole a priceless object from the Vanders, a golden jewel passed down through the generations. While there was no solid proof to bring light to the case, the Vanders believed whole heartedly that their precious jewel was still in the halls of the Hemomins household. The Dillion's hated the Hemomins just as much as the Vanders, but for a different reason. Apparently, a very long time ago, as the Devils were populating the underworld and making their way to populate the over-world, a argument was raised between the 2 clans. While the underworld had and still has plenty of room for the Devils and fallen angels to occupy, there's always someone who's gonna claim land for themselves. The Hemomins were one of them. Known for being devious, scheming, conniving and heartless Devils, they were not liked and continue to not be liked by many. The Vanders, while cold and not very social, were liked much more then the Hemomins.

The Dillion's had found a beautiful piece of land, with green grass, rolling hills and forests, lakes and streams (Yes, the underworld is actually a nice place, not some fiery inferno). Algernon, one of the first leaders of the household Dillon, had ordered his clan to begin building on the acres of land. Their home was to be built there, and wonderful plans were made for the projects. However, as the building began, the clan leader for the house Hemomins showed up. Kester was his name, and he was not happy when he learned of the Dillion's building project. Supposedly, the Hemomin house had already claimed the land, but were busy and so had not been building on it. Algernon wasn't convinced, knowing full well if a land he'd been taken, there would be clear signs of it. 

The Hemomins argued that they were to build a grand palace there, and that they wanted Algernon off their land. Algernon did not budge, and tried to calmly explain how they were the first to get there, and were the owners of the land, and as such would not leave. Kester was furious, ordering them to leave or he would attack. Algernon still did not budge, once again trying to explain the misunderstanding and offering to share the land. But Kester did not like to share, and refused the offer, declaring he would get the land one way or another. Algernon was not happy with the declaration, and quickly rallied his defenses. If it was war the greedy bastard wanted, it was war he was gonna get. 

Building continued naturally, however the houses quickly turned into shelters for attacks, armed with traps and weapons in the case of an attack. The Hemomins at the time lived in the Perazae mountains, a nice area with plenty of wild game, fresh water and while farming was tough, it was doable. The mountain range was wide, full of space for a colony of 4 or 5 devil households to live peacefully. But only the Hemomins lived there. So why would someone, with so much space and resources (they had plenty of ore to mine and make a living off of), would want more land when they didn't need it? 

It boggled Algernons mind, and he wished he did not have to face off against such an opponent. Weeks passed before any sign of the enemy. A single scout flew just at the edge of vision, taking note of what they had built so far. Another week passed before another scout was seen, closer this time, and hovering in the air, watching them. The scouts continued, getting closer each time they were seen, but never close enough where they were in danger. By this time, the Dillion's had built a grand defense. Weapons were at the ready, sharp and magically amplified to deal feral damage. Armor was forged from the strongest material they could get, and traps were scattered among the outskirts of their land. It was quite a time before Kester lived up to his word, and when he did, it was with frightening ferocity. 

He had summoned an army to charge forward, to where his opponent lay. The ground rumbled with their thunderous footsteps as the army stormed forward in a chaotic storm. A great battle began between the 2 households. Algernon did his best to face off against Kesters mighty army. But the blood that was spilled was too much, and Algernon pulled away from the land, allowing the Hemomins to take it for themselves. Algernon was angry, full of sorrow for the dead. In his emotional turmoil, he decided it that if he would not have it, no one would. Gathering his mages, Algernon ordered them to set the land ablaze in a torrent of flames. Without hesitation they did as they were told. The land was scorched by torrents of flame, destroying the once fertile land. But destroying the land wasn't enough for the enraged Algernon. He waited for the Hemomins to begin populating the area before ordering the flame strike. Man, woman and child alike were burned by the fiery inferno. Kesters wife and child were one of those caught in the fiery vengeance. From that day on, the two households held a everlasting hate for one another. 

While a few attempts at rekindling a friendship between the households had been made, none were successful, and the Hemomins continued to live their treacherous lives in peace. 

Sarina, while she didn't care much about the past and didn't like to trifle in it, still disliked the Hemomins for their heartless and deceiving ways. "You better watch what you say, Stanley." The young Dillon warned, silently praying to whatever God was out there that she could keep calm and not snap his neck. The idea of killing him was nice, but the problem lay around him. Standing behind and besides their master, was Stans peerage of Devils. Knights, pawns, queen and so on. Stanley grinned as he noticed where Sarinas eyes were, and he motioned around himself. "Like them? Some of the best trained Devils money could offer. They are loyal servants and-" Turning to the woman who had applied the magical enchantment, he pulled her close and gave her a sloppy but heated kiss before pulling away. "-oh so very talented." 

His queen, Rachel, leaned in for another kiss, but was pushed away instead. "Where's your peerage, Sarina? At home? Oh, wait! You don't have one. Why is that? Perhaps because your such a weakling no one wants to serve you? Maybe your just better off as the whore you and your mother are." Sarinas nails dug into the palms of her hand, desperately trying to remain calm. If she snapped, the bastard would feign innocence and get off with just a slap on the hand. "How about you just take that cocky attitude and shove it up your-" Keira was stopped by a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don't......let's just get going. We're wasting to much time on them. Come on." 

Stanley laughed and continued to mock them, following them back to the campsite, where he taunted them as they packed up. It wasn't just him mocking them, it was also his peerage. Keira 'accidentally' elbowed a young man who was overstepping his boundaries. His nose wasn't broken, but he stopped talking, that was for sure. The pair quickly departed, eager to get away from Stanleys annoying taunts. If they stayed any longer, they knew someone was gonna die, and they could not afford that. 

So, trudging forward, the pair hoped to find the stray before Stanley and his peerage did. Neither woman wanted to give Stanley anymore bragging material (as if he wasn't cocky enough). Plus, it should be a member of the family to avenge Lord Edward, not some random mercenary who just wanted the gold. "Hey, no use crying over spilled milk. Let's just get a move in before Stanley does. The faster we get to the stray, the sooner we can avenge your uncle. Oh, and if by chance Stanley finds the stray before us, let's......'assist' him. I mean, we can only help so much, and if he died it would be a real shame, but we tried our best......" Keiras words made Sarina chuckled lightly, and while she was fond of the idea, she wasn't sure it was a good idea. 

After allowing her thoughts to settle and a nights rest, Sarina was no longer as cold as she had been earlier. She wasn't happy, but she wasn't as quiet or cold as the day before. Still, the death of her uncle made her uneasy. Lord Edward, her uncle, had been the one to play games with her when no one else would. He would bake delicious cookies, buy her all sorts of gifts, and even attend her little tea parties which she would usually hold with her stuffed animals (since her parents were busy with work, and Keira didn't like tea parties). As she grew older, Edward would be the one to drop her off at the mall with Keira, at the movies and so on to hang out with her friends. While Sarina had stopped seeing her uncle as often due to school and her responsibilities, he still remained an important person in her life. The fact that her best friend for the longest time was now dead, was unacceptable, and the devil who had killed him would suffer. 

The sun shined down its light with a bright smile, warming the world beneath its gentle rays. Hours passed with no sign of the stray, and eventually the sun began to seek out shelter behind the western skies. From a beautiful baby blue, to a peach orange, to the darkness Demons and creatures of the night were known for thriving in. They were making good progress, and while Keira wasn't happy that they still hadn't found the stray yet, she wasn't to worried. If anything she was excited, eager as they inched their way closer and closer to the murderer. 

The sun had shed its last rays of light an hour before Keira found footprints veering off to the right. The tracks were faint, soft and obviously trying to be unseen from prying eyes. Grinning, the pink haired girl lead Sarina through the thicket, following the faint trail. Soon, the pair caught sight of a light flickering in the distance. It was small, concealed behind the trees and bushes that swarmed the untamed forest. Careful not to make noise, Sarina cast a spell to silence their movements, both summoning their respective weapons.

They had found the stray.


	4. Chapter 4

"It has been a long time since we've entered this place......" A woman's voice softly echoed off the dark, cold walls that surrounded her and her companion. Snorting unhappily, the woman's companion punched a hole in the wall, as if to prove he was above it. "THESE WALLS ARE WEAK, OLD, USELESS, PATHETIC! THIS ENTIRE CONSTRUCT IS USELESS!" The walls didn't seem to enjoy being insulted, and in response a small, slab of wall quickly slid out, smacking into the mans face before returning to the wall. Growling, the man punched the wall again, cursing as if there was no tomorrow. From behind, another stone slab smacked into the back of his head, another rising straight up, hitting twin eggs. Grunting and letting out a, albeit small, whimper, the man fell to his knees, clutching at his inner thighs. The armor he was wearing did little to protect him. 

While the man was trying not to cry out in pain and attempting to dodge the quickening stone slab attacks, his companion was having a hard time containing her laughter. Just as quickly as the onslaught of stone slabs had come, they disappeared, leaving the large man to grumble curses and slowly stand up. "The walls have ears, Ramogash." A soft voice echoed throughout throughout the hallway the pair had been walking along, as if coming from all angles and no where at the same time. "Cursed walls.........cursed woman....." The pair continued forward, walking along the ancient, rune filled hallways of the.........temple? Whatever it was, the man known as Ramogash didn't like it, and he made it very clear as he walked along.

Ramogash and the woman walked along in silence for a few more minutes before they spotted a light in the distance. It was a light blue, and as the pair neared, it got brighter and brighter. Quickly the pair walked through a doorway, blinking their eyes rapidly to clear out the spots that danced in their vision. Glowing blue runes covered every inch of the large room they had entered. It was circular in shape, almost like a ball, with a flat bottom. Soft whispers murmured through the air, as though coming from a group of small children who were whispering to one another, though what they were saying, neither of the pair could understand. 

Rising from the ground was a lonely gray pillar, with a flat top that extended to become a rectangular stone pad. Floating just an inch or so above the stone platform was a woman, whose eyes were closed. She wore a blue robe with bright blue stripes going horizontally across it, with a few golden inscriptions sowed into the fabric here and there. The woman's skin was fair, with no blemish anywhere in sight. However, her skin was an ashen gray, pale and seemed lifeless. Upon her face were elvish features; slightly pointed ears, sharp features, high cheekbones and so on and so forth. She was beautiful, really........in a creepy, eerie sort of way. 

"WOMAN! COME DOWN FROM YOUR PERCH!" Ramogash growled out, stopping the whispers and cutting through the serene silence that had once filled the room. Nothing happened for a few moments, the floating woman seemingly not having heard him. Ramogash was not a patient man, nor did he like to be ignored, and was about to voice his inconvenience loudly, when the woman turned to regard them. Keeping her eyes closed, the Elvish woman waved a hand, the pillar descending back into the ground where it had come from, leaving no trace it had ever been there. While the pillar had disappeared, the woman remained in the air, now looking down at the man and woman before her. "Welcome, to my humble home." 

Ramogash stomped his feet unhappily, grumbling and cursing profusely, like a pouting child who wasn't getting what he wanted. "YOU USE ROCKS TO ATTACK ME AND THAT IS ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY?!" Both women sighed, the elvish one waving her hand dismissively. "Please, Ramogash, your acting like a child who isn't getting what he wants." Once again, Ramogash stomped his feet and growled, huffingh and cursing loudly. Both women cringed, the elvish women rubbing her forehead in a attempt to soothe the headache she could feel beginning to surface. "Please, quiet down........there is no need for such loudness." Ramogash opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off as a tile from the floor fell inwards, throwing him off balance. Quickly, the massive man attempted to regain his composure, but instead flailed around a bit before landing with a loud 'thud'. 

"You were always the better at using magic, eh Circe?" Closed eyes slowly turned to regard the woman who had spoken, a smile grading elvish features. "It has been too long, Ruth." Slowly, Circe fluttered down to the ground, her feet gently touching the stone floor. "How have you been all these years? It must have been a hassle to live with Ramogash." Ruth chuckled, brushing brown hair behind one ear, while stepping closer to her old friend. "Yes, it has been. In fact I've had to use a human product called proactive simply to hide my wrinkles. You would not believe how much he yells." 

Booming footsteps broke through the air, making both women turn their attention to the source of the sound. Ruth didn't hesitate to jump backwards, to safety. Circe simply stepped back, casting a quick spell to capture the charging Ramogash. Roaring and snarling, Ramogash slammed his fists into the magical sphere that acted as his prison. "WITCH! SORCERESS! FREE ME FROM THIS PRISON SO THAT I MAY TEAR YOU APART!" Ruth chuckled and strode right up to the bubble, knocking on it. "Tempting, but I don't think she will. You can stay there in time out and think about what you've done." Ramogash howled, putting both hands to his ears before quickly turning towards Ruth, punching at the prison. Ruth simply chuckled, not afraid that the magical prison might break. 

"I would not test the limits of his prison. While it may hold him fine for now, his anger will only grow. With anger comes reckless power. I do not wish to be the one he is aiming such anger at should he break through the spell." Circe's words were not a warning, but a command. "Aww, your no fun Circe. Come on, what's he gonna-" Ramogash roared and smashed both fists on the walls of his prison, creating thin cracks. Ruth jumped back, realizing her mistake and thankful it had only been cracks and not a shattering. "Ok, I get it now. What's next?" With a simple flick of a hand, the prison disappeared, leaving a very angry Ramogash to snort and charge towards Ruth. 

"STOP!" Ramogash halted, fist already coming down to where Ruth was standing. "You are acting like children, and my patience wanes with the coming of our plans." Both mumbled something under their breath, before nodding and turning their attention to Circe, who had conjured a bright blue sphere that floated before her. Waving her hands around the sphere, she began to mold it, changing it time and time again. "Ruth, take Ramogash and head back home. Now is not the opportune time for action. I will call you when I need you. But first, I would like to watch over our little...........problem." 

 

"WHAT?! SORCERESS! YOU CALL US HERE, TELLING US TO BE READY FOR ACTION, AND THAN YOU ARE JUST GOING TO SEND US AWAY?!?! NO! YOU-" Ramogash was unable to finish speaking, a black portal opening beneath him, which he fell into with a startled yell. Ruth smiled sheepishly, nervously laughing. "I'm gonna just go ahead and excuse myself......" She scurried away, leaving Circe alone, to watch over a most curious development. 

\---------

Keira and Sarina had emerged from the brush, standing in the light of a small fire. Before them was the stray devil, the killer of Lord Edward Mixon. Sarina wanted to end its miserable life, but she wanted to see its face before she did. In an attempt to immobilize the stray, Sarina had sent forth a freezing spell. However, whether the stray had known they were there or simply sensed the attack, it had quickly stood up and blocked the spell with its arm. Instead of freezing its arm and spreading as it should have, the stray simply shook it off, like one would shake off some dirt. 

Sarina and Keira took note of the situation, studying their surroundings and if any traps had been placed. No traps were placed, however something was definitely off. The stray devil, most likely a man from its figure, wore a dark cowl over his head, keeping his face from being seen. A black, short sleeved shirt, and torn jeans with a pair of worn down sneakers filled out the rest of his body. What was off putting, however, was the fact that the stray wasn't alone. Cowering behind the stray was a little girl. She was clinging to the strays left leg, head just barely past the strays knee. Her blue hair was messy, hurriedly tied into twin pigtails with pink scrunchies. She was wearing a yellow, round neck blouse, with a short pretty white skirt that was a bit dirty. She had similar, dirty sneakers, though they were pink. 

"Not only are you a killer......but your a pedophile? Well I guess it makes sense." Keira spat, clenching her twin daggers tightly. "Surrender now, stray. Show us your face, so we can take you into custody for your crimes." The figure did not say anything, but in response to their words stretched out his arm. Out of nothingness, and with a flash of blinding white light, a yellow staff appeared in the strays right hand. The staff was as tall as the stray, if not a bit taller. Sarina couldn't help but want to examine the weapon. It seemed to have a history, and in fact seemed to be broken. The yellow painting on the staff had dulled, and at its tip, cracks appeared, as though something had been forcefully ripped away. 

Keira snickered softly, a grin spreading along her face as she tried to stifle her laughter. "Your gonna fight us....with THAT? No offense, but it looks like you found that in some Devils trash can, or maybe from party city during Halloween. How about you just give up and save us not only the trouble, but save you the embarrassment." The figure did not respond, simply turning to the little girl clutching onto his leg. He softly pushed her away, behind him, before once again turning to the women in front of him. 

Silence filled the gap between the three. A silent count down began, and as soon as the bell rang, Keira was off. The stray wasn't far off, rushing to meet the charging woman. Staff clashed against dual daggers, screeching in protest as they pushed against one another. Keira slashed at the stray viciously, using her daggers to attack at different areas, hoping to throw the stray off. Daggers sliced and diced wherever there was flesh to be found, a ferocious attack that would throw off any normal stray. This stray, however, matched her ferocity, countering and parrying every attack that came flying at him. Keira did not realize this until she realized that the strays body, which should have been littered with bleeding cuts, seemed perfectly fine. 

Taking notice of the realization in Keiras eyes, the stray kicked outwards, connecting with the young Vanders stomach. It was quickly followed up by a knee connecting with her nose, sending her stumbling backwards. "MOVE!" Muscles clenching, Keira dove to the side just as a bolt of arcane energy smacked into the stray, sending it backwards. "Nice shot rina!" Said woman was holding out a glowing hand, with runes on it, where the bolt had come from.  
The sound of movment brought their attention to the stray, who had been thrown back. Standing once again, the stray examined his now smoking clothing, as if he was more worried what he would like like by the end of the fight, then the two attackers who had engaged on him. "Sarina, charge up another one of those things. I'll distract him." Said woman nodded, before beginning to charge up another one of her spells. Keira got busy, rushing the stray who didn't seem to happy that the fight was continuing.

Pulling out three daggers, Keira hurled them at the devil, who was able to deflect two of them, while a third struck a lucky hit on its shoulder, rewarding Keira with an audible grunt of pain. "How is it that you managed to kill Lord Edward, huh? He was a powerful devil, and killing him would need a lot of disposable men, or a lot of power." Sliding under a swipe of the staff, Keira delivered a powerful punch to the mans exposed elbow. Keira followed up with a Russian 2-on-1. Grabbing his arm near the elbow and the other near his wrist, she pushed her body against his, forcing him down while pulling his arm up. Bringing her elbow up, she slammed it downwards, the mans arm snapping audibly. 

Normal Devils, people and other creatures would've howled with agony at such a vicious break. Yet this devil, this mysterious stray, only grunted in pain, hissing through his teeth, before reaching out with his left arm and gripping Keiras hair. Yanking her away, the stray slammed her to the ground, before lifting her once more. He threw her to the side before turning his attention to the broken arm hanging limply by his side. Keira rolled before coming to a stop, looking up at the stray. He looked to her, then to his arm, as if asking, 'really?'. Turning his attention to the broken arm, the stray grabbed it, a yellowish glow sprouting from his hand as he placed it on his elbow. He gripped down, and with a sickening crunch, the arm was straightened out. The stray looked away from the broken arm, biting on his lip as he tested it out. It seemed fine, though from the look on the strays face, it still hurt. A healing spell? And a powerful one at that, considering how repaired the arm seemed to be. What kind of killer was this?

Whistling through the air, an arcane blast of fire smashed into the stray before he could do anything. Flames erupted from where the blast had hit, engulfing the stray in a fiery inferno. Sarina grinned at the sight, though her grin was wiped away as tiny fists smacked against her leg. Looking down, she frowned at the sight of the little girl, crying and uselessly punching at her leg. "YOU MEANIE! STOP HURTING BIG BROTHER! STOP!" The heir to the Dillon household felt her heart fall as she looked upon the sad little girl. This girl.....what was she doing? Big brother? What in the world was she talking about? Sarina kneeled down to console the girl, explain to her the sins the stray had committed and that she was safe now, when footsteps caught her attention. Looking up, expecting Keira to come walking up, cocky smile in place, Sarina's eyes widened at the sight before her. 

Flames danced along the mans clothes as he walked towards her, looking very unhappy. "I grow tired of this game we play." In a burst of speed and relentless power, the yellow staff connected with a tender side, breaking ribs and sending Sarina flying into a tree. She couldn't even cry out in pain, breath knocked out of her from the brutal smack. "Shh......you mustn't cry, Elly. I'm fine. You need to be strong......ok? Now please, allow me to finish this before we move on." The words were soft, almost distant as Sarina fought to focus her mind. She needed healing, hut at the same time needed to escape. Forcing herself to roll over, she cried out as she rolled to her stomach, fingers digging into the earth, as if she could channel her pain into the ground. Sarina's side wasn't the only thing that hurt, and as she forced herself to look over her shoulder, she just barely saw a pointy but thick branch sticking out of her back, imbedded into her from the crash into the tree. That was gonna leave a mark.

Footsteps came closer and closer, drawing her attention upwards. There, standing before her, was the stray, staff held up and poised to strike. She had went off with Keira in search of the stray, in hopes of seeing the murderers face before ending him. Yet there he was, standing before her with his face hidden behind the dark cowl, about to strike her down. How ironic. Sarina didn't want to die though, and in a feeble last attempt at life, attempted to cast a spell. One last spell. 

One last spell that was never cast, as a sudden eruption of chaotic commotion spring out from around them. The little girl, who the stray had called Elly, screamed and cried out for the stray. Said man growled and rushed towards her, trying to save her. Lightning and the sound of blunt weapons scoring hits echoed through the air, before Sarina fell into unconsciousness. 

\----------

"Well that is interesting........such a turn of events. Things were so bland before but now.......oh my. This is truly a fascinating turn of events that I must watch over." Circe mused, waving her hands in a orchestrated way, practiced time and time again. Her eyes were closed, as they usually were, yet before her was an orb. A bright blue scrying orb that tore open space to allow the user to watch events in real time. It was like watching a movie, except it wasn't a movie, and a lot more dangerous. While the scrying orb was easy to use and a sneaky spell, an experienced Mage of any kind would be able to feel the pull of magic following them. They would eventually put two and two together, and counter the spell, or use it to find the person watching over them. 

A sigh escaped full, pale lips. "This makes things for us harder.......but then again, who ever said life was gonna be easy? Perhaps I can work with this.....twist it to my advantage? Oh, what a predicament....." 

"My lady....." 

Circe looked up from the scrying orb, raising a brow at the.....thing standing before her. "What is it Torme? Have you brought me what I have asked of you?" The creature before her slowly nodded, moving slowly towards his mistress. "He barely escaped, thanks to help from his......comrade. I have information on his whereabouts, however, and am to depart before the sun rises in the morning." 

A nod was all the servant received. "Acknowledged. Hurry and bring Mr.Mately. I want him here with us before the summoning. There's someone who will be very eager to see him." 

Torme nodded, bowing his head low before turning and vanishing from sight.

A smile curved Circes lips as the creature left. "Such loyal servants.......if only the rest of them could be that way. It's fine, though. In the end, everyone's going to bow before me.....like the dogs they are." Circe chuckled, focusing her attention back onto the scrying orb. "Now now, Circe. One step at a time. Oh, but what an interesting development. What it's in store for our young stray?" 

\--------

 

Pain.........hurt.......damn did it hurt. Jumbled thoughts, jumbled memories. What was happening? Where was she? Who was she? Sarina couldn't focus, a blinding light hindering her vision. Since she was blind, she decided to focus on what she could feel. She was on something soft.....something like a pillow......a bed perhaps? A bed in her room? Maybe, but that would be weird considering-THE STRAY! A pang of pain zipped through Sarinas head. The stray.......the stray was about to kill her......but something stopped it. Something attacked it......but then what had happened afterwards? Why wasn't she dead? Too many questions, and her head hurt way too much for all the thinking.

Hours seemed to slowly creep by before she could open her eyes. Devils, naturally were creatures of the night. The sun wasn't their cup of tea, and while it didn't feel good, it was simply a nuisance at most times. This, however, stung her eyes as if she'd been staring at the sun an entire day. Rubbing her eyes, Sarina forced herself to sit up, taking in her surroundings. She was sitting on a queen aimed bed, with a single pillow and no blanket. The room had a few dressers spread around the room, a large mirror propped up against the right wall, besides a window and nothing else. Just plain, soft white and beige walls surrounded Sarina. 

"Where am I?" She asked herself, moving her legs over the side of the bed. Pain struck Sarina as soon as she had swung her legs over the side of the bed. Groaning, she looked down at the......grey shirt? Sarinas clothing had been stripped away, replaced with a plain grey shirt that was a bit to big for her and sweat pants. Pain reminded her there was something more important than clothing. Lifting up the shirt sleeved shirt, Sarina examined her torso, tightly bandaged, with a faint red spot on her left side. She was hit by the sight pretty hard. Broken ribs, maybe punctured intestines at the least. Yet, she felt much better then before. 

Of course, pain was pain, and the fact she wasn't in as much pain as she should be was little comfort. Forcing herself to stand up, the raven haired girl hesitantly got to her feet, hissing through her teeth as soon as she did so. She had to figure out where she was. She wasn't gonna let a little wound like this put her down. With hesitant, little steps, the young Dillon slowly crept her way to the oaken door. Reaching for the shining, brass doorknob, her fingertips brushed against it just barely before it suddenly swung inwards. Sarina instinctively hesitated, coming face to face with a startled looking maid. 

"O-oh, your awake. I was just coming to check on you." 

"......." 

The maid smiled, her caramel colored eyes glittering with amusement. "Oh, you must be confused as to where you are, no? Well, right now young lady, you are in Lord Jax's humble home." 

Brow furrowing, lips frowning. "How did I get here? I don't remember much before I fell into unconsciousness.....and where is Keira? Is she alright?" 

The maid nodded her head, raising a hand to silence Sarina. "Your friend is alright. In fact she's better then ever. She's eating breakfast at the moment, and was hoping you would join her if you were awake. As for how you got here......well let me remember....." The maid out a thoughtful finger to her chin, tilting her head to the side, a thoughtful frown on her face. Her dazzling smile appeared once again before long, however. "Oh, that's right! A young Hemomin named Stan brought you in here, along with your friend. He was crying, saying he was hoping you were alright and he did his best to save you. Not only that, he had captured the stray devil. A brave young man indeed." 

Sarina would've punched a hole in the wall, had she not known it would be in-polite and only add more pain to what she already felt. "Sneaky little shit....." She hissed, hands clenched into fists. 

"Miss?" 

Her eyes snapped up to the maid, regaining her composure. "Ah, sorry. So, could I possibly see Keira now? I would like to speak with her, and eat something." 

The maid nodded, motioning for her to follow, before leading the way down the red corridor. Past countless doors, down a set of stairs, past more doors and finally through a kitchen area, they stopped at a dining room, where Keira was devouring plate after plate of food. Servants and chefs, were hurrying to provide food for the young woman, who was all too eagerly devouring the food. 

"You might want to breathe at some point. Oxygen is kind of important for survival, you know?" 

Keira looked up, a bit of egg hanging from her puckered lips, cheeks full of food. Gulping down the food, Keira licked her lips before grinning. "Well good-morning sunshine. You seem just as elegant as ever." Both women smiled at one another, Sarina taking her seat across from the pinkette.

Just as they had done for Keira, a servant rushed over to Sarina, setting down a steaming hot plate of eggs, bacon, hash browns, and some toast with a variety of jellies. Another servant set down a cup of coffee, adding sugar and milk, stirring and then disappearing. "Wow, they are fast. I'm surprised they aren't spilling food and drinks all over the place." Keira rolled her eyes. "This is high class. They have to be fast and not spill a drop to be able to work here." 

"I suppose so." 

Keira began to once again munch down the food on her plate, though not as quickly nor as messily. Unlike Sarina, Keira seemed fine, aside from a wound on her lip and a few bruises here and there. From what she could tell, Keiras back was where bandages were. She had been thrown around pretty badly, so Sarina guessed the heaviest wounds were hidden behind the shirt. 

"Madams?" 

Both women looked up, seeing a maid standing not too far away. "Oh, right, I forgot about you, sorry about that." The maid waved a hand dismissively, smiling happily. "that's alright. I just wanted to tell you that, once you are finished eating, someone will escort you to your rooms. Freshen up and then, once your done, someone will take you to Lord Jax's study, where he will be awaiting you with-" the maid hesitated, as though afraid of continuing. 

"With?" 

"W-with the stray....." 

Sarinas figure tensed, Keira noticing and frowning. She wasn't good with calming people down, considering she was usually the one to start trouble. "Hey......umm.....look, Sarina, the dudes caught. The bastards gonna be locked away forever." 

The raven haired woman shook her head. "I know but......I still don't feel like I've avenged him. I would feel better if I had killed the bastard."

"Would you really?" 

Sarina did not respond, keeping silent in place of responding. Both women knew the answer to the question, but did not press the matter, instead focusing on breakfast. 

 

\-----------

Breakfast was finished with, and so the young Dillon and Vander hurried to their rooms. A nice, warm bath awaited them to soothe their tired muscles. A maid came in as they were bathing to help change the bandages. The wounds had definitely healed, but would need some more time before they would be fully healed. Once the baths were done with, Sarina put on the fresh clothes given too her. Sarina was given a purple blouse with long sleeves and a pair of new looking jeans. Keira was given a tank top, with a pair of camo shorts and some knee high socks. Both women had sneakers and simple socks on. 

After they were changed, the pair hurried down the many hallways and corridors and rooms of the mansion, a maid leading them. Rarely did they pass by windows, though when they did, they were able to peek out at magnificent gardens and splendid courtyards. 

It wasn't long before the maid stopped at a set of oaken double doors, with ornate silver handles gleaming in the light. "This is Lord Jax's study. Enter quietly." Those were the only words the maid said before hurrying away. Sarina turned her attention away from the quickly dissapearing maid, and to the doors before her. "You ready?" Keira asked, cracking her knuckles and rolling her head. Sarina smiled, nodding her head. Using a finger to brush some raven tresses to the side, the young Dillon reached out end grabbed the handle. 

"Let's do this."


	5. Another one rises

Orange sky, far far above. Wind brushing softly against tree tops, rustling their leaves in a loving manner. Clouds stretched thinly across the sky, like a painter brushing his brush quickly across the canvas, leaving behind the thin white line. No planes flew overhead, no blimps nor noisy helicopters flew by. Tall grass and farmland stretched for miles. It was a serene image. Sun settling down in its bed behind rolling hills and tall grass, it's lazy eyes closing slowly as they said goodnight to the world. 

A windmill stood far off in the distance, a barn next to it and a house behind it. A lone, dirt road paved its way through the grass, seemingly endless as it curved over gentle slopes. The real thing that brought everyone's attention, however, was the small festival that was going on. The festival was held every year in Nebraska. In the farming lands, the small festival was always held, in the same way as the year before. Same time, same place, same attractions. The stands with their dim lights, the dunk tank with its dirty water. The real attraction, however, was the slow turning Ferris wheel, with its round bellied owner standing at the ready. 

"It's beautiful......" A woman's voice softly spoke, her arms wrapped around her lovers torso. The lovely young couple had been dating for around 2 years now, and as they entered the anniversary of when they first met, the boy had decided to take his sweet to his favorite childhood place. The annual festival, where he remembered going as a young boy. He remembered how his grandmother would take him there every year, allowing him to run around and explore, while she would sit on a bench and relax. 

"Jacob, what's that? You didn't tell me the festival had a voodoo emporium!" Jacob, smile flipping into a frown, looked to where Samantha was pointing. "Dr.Metaly's voodoo emporium? I don't remember that being here. Maybe it's a new attraction." The couple were quick to walk over to the little tent, a sign standing in front of it that read, "Dr.Metaly's voodoo emporium! Come in if you dare!" A pair of laughing skulls hung from either side, with fake red flames glittering in their eye sockets. 

The tent, very much like a camping tent but larger, couldn't hold more then a table and maybe 3 people. Yet, as the couple stepped into the tent, they were greeted by dozens of knick-knacks, shelves stocked full of 'ancient spell books' and a few 'authentic' weapons hanging on racks. There were some ingredients for potions in a glass case, each with a price tag beneath it. Jacob, just to make sure he wasn't crazy, took a step outside, looking at the tent, and then walked back inside. 

"This is crazy......I don't remember this being here." 

"That's because I just moved in!" A voice spoke up from behind them, startling the couple. Jacob and Samantha were quick to face the owner of the voice, surprised by what they saw. 

Standing before them, with a wide, white toothed grin, was an African American gentlemen. He wore a one-piece suit, black dress shoes with the laces tied into a neat bow. Around his neck he wore a silver chain, at the end of it, a violet crystal that shined, even when no light was striking it. A Rose was tucked into the front pocket of his vest, a silver stop watch dangling from his pant pocket. A large top hat sat comfortably on the mans head, tilted back. Both his hands, which were surprisingly skinny, were laid atop a cane. The cane was black, with a golden smiley face with devil horns laughing on its front. The top of the cane was a perfectly cut purple sphere, that gleamed with an inner fire. 

"Hello there. I see you've stumble into my cozy little shop. Looking for a love potion? Perhaps your looking to have your future read? Maybe your looking for a little help in the sack?" The mans eyebrow wiggled questioningly, his cane tapping Jacobs foot. Samantha covered her mouth with one hand, giggling softly, while Jacob chuckled but shook his head. "No, nothing like that. You must be Dr.Metaly." Said man reached up and took his hat off, before bowing his head. "Indeed I am, my good man. But please, call me Metal."

Jacob couldn't help but smile at the mans words. He seemed like a nice enough guy. "Well....Mr.Metal, we came here wanting to know how long you've been here. You see, I've come to this fair since I was a child, and I brought my girlfriend, Samantha along with me this time around. However I've never seen you here before, or if I have I don't remember seeing you." 

"Ah, a fine question to ask. And may I say you make a lovely couple. Young love is truly a beautiful thing." Metaly sighed as he looked at them, smiling as though remembering his past. He quickly waved a hand through the air, dismissing whatever thoughts he had. "None the less, allow me to answer your question. You see, I barely set up camp last year, trying to make a living on this wonderful land. Not many customers come around, however. A shame really, as it does get lonely with no visitors." Mately sighed, closing his eyes and looking down sadly. 

Samantha smiled and placed a comforting hand on the older mans shoulder. "Oh don't be sad. You just need to get noticed. Give it some time." 

Just as quickly as he had become down, Mately grinned and nodded, puffing up his chest proudly. "You are quite right. I won't let this little inconvenience hold me down! Now! Since you are customers, how about checking out some of the merchandise? I have quite a few useful tools for everyday activities." 

Jacob shook his head, raising a hand to stop Mately from continuing. "No, no, we're fine, thank you. I was just curious. Come on Samantha, let's get going. I want to show you the Ferris wheel." The young man softly took his partners hand, gently leading her past the voodoo doctor. "Aww, but I wanted to see some more of Mr.Metals things. Come on Jacob, when else are we gonna have the chance to get some mammoths toe?" Jacob chuckled but ignored her words. 

A soft, unhappy hiss echoed through Matelys head, followed by a not so happy shudder from the violet crystal that hung from Matelys neck. Reaching a hand up, the voodoo doctor softly grasped the crystal. "Shh......don't you worry now.......we'll get you something." 

Jacob was about to exit the tent when Mately ran up behind them, wrapping one arm around his shoulder, and the other around Samantha's. "Now now, no need to be so hasty." Mately veered them away from the exit, back towards the shop. "At the very least allow me to read your future. Please, it's in the house. Samantha seems eager to do so. Be a good boyfriend and allow Samantha the rare opportunity to peer into what the future holds. Aren't you curios, Jacob?"

A frown formed upon the young mans lips as he looked to the older man. He could see out of the corner of his eye, Samantha's pleasing look. The way she stared at him with those puppy dog eyes.....he couldn't say no to her. Sighing, he grumbled a surrendering 'fine'. "But only a fortune telling. Just tell us what's in our future and that's it." 

"Oh come on Jacob, don't be so rude. I know how much this fair means to you and I promise were gonna go to every single other stall here. Let's just try this one out. Where's your sense of adventure?" 

Mately chuckled and rubbed their shoulders. "Indeed. You should listen to the lovely lady more often. After all, you wouldn't want to make her cry." Sensing the cue, Samantha brought out her puppy dog eyes, acting as if she was going to cry. Jacob, knowing full well he wasn't gonna escape, smiled and shrugged. "Alright alright, let's get this over with." The little lady squealed with joy, looking to the voodoo doctor. "Right then! This way!" With a quick snap of his fingers, a wooden table had appeared before them, chairs and all. "Take a seat wherever you please." 

Mately waited for them to sit down before taking his own seat across from them. "Now, let us begin." Reaching into an imaginary bag, Mately quickly rotated his wrist, stopping just as quickly. In his hand, a deck of cards had appeared, perfectly stacked. "The cards tell the future. We are going to consult them, and see what we can learn from them." Mately began to do some fancy tricks with the cards, making them disappear and re-appear as he chanted, eventually sliding two cards forward. The rest of the cards disappeared, while the two in front of them stayed. Flipping one over, he smiled and began to decipher what the picture meant. 

Turned out, there was quite a bit in their future. Mately told them plenty of advice and what to watch out for, but eventually he began to struggle. "The cards seem to not be responding with me. I may have to try a different tactic." He had said, standing and making his way behind them. Standing in between them, he offered his hands to them. "Take my hand." Jacob shook his head immediately. "No way. I'm not accepting whatever silent deal your trying to offer. Samantha, let's-" 

"Oh, don't worry, this is no context. I simply must do this to be able to read your future."

Jacob was hesitant, but Samantha wasn't, and quickly grabbed Matelys hand. "Yes......" Mately grinned, turning to Jacob and offering his hand to him. "Come on, boy.....wont you shake a poor...sinners hand?" 

Jacob looked to Samantha, who nodded eagerly. Sighing, and with a soft grumble, he took Matelys hand. 

"Yes......YES!" Letting go of the couples hands, Mately jumped back, laughing as the violet crystal hanging from his neck shined brilliantly. Shining in its radiance, the crystal shrieked loudly, firing off a beam of purple light. The light never hit anything, however, and instead hissed gleefully as it swirled around Jacob and Samantha. In mere seconds, the beams of light had coiled around the couple, taking the form of giant pythons. "HEY! LET US OUT!" Mately laughed, waving a hand passed his face. As his hand passed by, his face was covered by a skull with rainbow colors and engraved runes. 

"Sorry my dear, but Jessie is hungry. No need to worry though, your death will be quick and.....painful! HAHAHAH!" A sadistic grin formed on Matelys face, sad that Jacob and Samantha couldn't see it. 

"Please, don't do this! You don't have to do this!" Samantha screamed, struggling in the purple pythons grip. 

"Let us go you sick bastard! You won't get away-" Jacob was cut off as as the Python......well, interrupted him.

"Oh, but my dear boy.....I already have. Now do try and scream as much as possible. It helps to feed Jessie." 

Indeed, the couple screamed. Their screams pierced the air and pierced Matelys ears. Yet, no one outside the tent heard, no one noticed the events happening inside. No one noticed, and no one would ever notice. 

"Jessie my dear, you are making things harder for me every time you get hungry. I can't keep feeding you in this way. I understand you have a void less pit that can never be truly filled and therefore need me to continuously feed you, but you must understand my intentions. I need money, and to get money I need customers. I can't just keep feeding you the few customers that enter my shop. How else am I gonna feed myself?" The Python viciously tearing out Samantha's eyeballs turned towards Mately and hissed, snapping at him. "Whoa! Your going to bite the hand that feeds you? You really are a crazy, freaky,-" 

Diving to the side, Mately landed in a crouch, raising his cane just in time to block a downward swing from what appeared to be a black sword. "Well, well......nice to see YOU again. How's it been Charles?" 

Charles growled and hefted his arm.....which wasn't an arm but a long spike. "Do not call me by that name, Mately." Swinging the vicious spike downwards, the voodoo doctor was quick to sidestep, planting a firm foot down on it. "Come now. No need to be so rude and attack me. I'm sure Circe didn't order you to kill me. What would she think if she found out you were attacking one of her own?" 

Charles, as Mately liked to call him, hesitated. Charles let a low growl rumble through his throat. "She would scold me, but nothing more. She needs me and my kind. She won't be harsh, else we will give away information better kept secret." Mately chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Is that what you think? That she won't hesitate to kill you and your kind? You know, your kinds always been useful for our cause, but that doesn't mean anything. Useful or not, the Harthliol's are disposable. Plenty of cutthroats and cheats out there we can find to do the job you and your kind do." 

Charles hissed, spikes emerging from his back, like a cat when it got startled. "Perhaps, but none can compare to the living shadows. None will be able to do as well or do as much as the Harthliol's can." 

Harthliol's, as they were called, we're living shadows. They were creatures of pure, dark magic, said to have been created by a powerful necromancer to help him take over heaven, earth and the underworld. While the Harthliol's could take any shape they wanted, they preferably took the shape of a human. Pure black, the Harthliol's resembled slender men, just pure black and a solid 7 feet tall. While the living shadows were known as simply myths told to scare children away from the woods and leaving the home late at night, they were very real. Supposedly, after the necromancer that had created them passed away, they were left with no master, and so they scattered into hiding, acting as mercenaries for only the most powerful. They searched for centuries, looking for a master to serve under, one that would lead them to world domination. 

Eventually, they found Circe, who had promised them their wish so long as they served under her. 

The legions of Harthliol's gathered under their new mistress, eager to get started. However, as time pressed forwards, they began to get restless. Nothing was being done, simply watching and spying. It was all leading to nothingness, and they were quickly losing their patience. Their general, Torme (also known as Charles), was one of the more restless. He was eager for the battles to ensue, and every passing day doing nothing was killing him. None the less, the Harthliol's would keep their anxiousness contained, and wait a bit longer, for their mistress to speak the words they had been waiting for. 

"Your right, maybe those cheap mercenaries won't be able to sneak in and out as well as you can, but we don't need perfection, we just need information. Now how about you put your weapon away and tell me why you came here, aside from the fact you were trying to kill me." 

\---------------

 

Footsteps echoed throughout the faintly lit, tune covered halls of the construct where Circe resided. Looking up from the scrying orb, she smiled as Mately stepped inside, bowing before her, while Torme simply bowed his faceless head. 

"Ah, welcome Mately. A pleasure to see you back here. Oh, and Jessie, you look as beautiful as ever. How have you two been? I hope the trip here wasn't too long." Jessie responded to Circes words with a satisfied hiss, echoing through all 3 minds. 

"Indeed. A pleasure to see you, Circe. You seem younger then I remember? Have you gotten more beautiful as well?" 

"Flattery does not work on, Mately. Though I will admit, your words are as smooth as honey, just as I remember them." 

"Oh, stop. You flatter me."

"My lady, forgive me for interrupting, but should you not continue the summoning process? That is the reason he was brought here, after all." Torme spoke out, cutting off whatever other words Mately was going to say. A frown formed along Circes pale lips. "Getting impatient are we?" Tensing up and hesitant to answer, Torme bowed lowly before his mistress. "F-forgive me.....mistres....it's just that-" 

"Just that you are growing impatient. Just that you and your kind are anxious for war. Isn't that right?" 

"........"

Circe sighed, placing a hand over her face for a few seconds before letting it drop to her side. "Listen to me and listen to me well. The world isn't the same." 

"I understand that mistress but-" 

"SILENCE!" 

Both Mately and Charles seemed to shrink at the woman's anger. 

"The world has changed, Torme. There are no peasant villages out their, waiting to be pillaged. No weak humans stand by with sticks and stones to defend themselves. No longer do Archers and Knights stand atop high, castle walls to defend their King. The world has changed, Torme. It has become a much more dangerous and elaborate place then when you were first created. Do not think for a second that I am not as eager as you are. Do you not think I would love to storm over the world like a plague, taking what is ours?"

Torme did not respond, keeping silent as his mistress looked upon him, daring him to speak. 

"The world has changed, Torme." Circe repeated. "If we are to succeed in our plans, we must know all we can and wait for the perfect time to strike. Do you understand,?" The Harthliol nodded, keeping his head down, unwilling to look at his mistresses face. "Good......now leave us. Me and Mately have much to do. Much to discuss......." 

With a swift bow, the shadow creature turned and left, leaving Mately and Circe alone. "He's quite a rambunctious fellow, wouldn't you say so?" 

Circe sighed, running a hand through her hair. "The Harthliol's were created for war, not for waiting around. I worry how long they will be willing to wait before looking for someone new.....or turning on me." Mately shrugged and tapped his cane in the ground. "Who cares? You can wipe them out! They're nothing but cannon fodder. Like I told Charles, plenty of cutthroats waiting for the job." 

"Indeed, but none can do better then them. However, discussing the future is not what I brought you here to do. I brought you here so you could help us bring back an old friend of ours." 

Mately nodded, motioning for her to continue. "Lead the way." 

And Circe did, leading the voodoo doctor to a door opposite the one Torme had exited. Passed the door they went, through a lightless hall way, around a corner and stopping at a circular door. Circe pressed a hand to the door, whispering a few words. Magical energy tingled along her fingertips, seeping into the door, outlining a engraved figure on the door. The door hissed open, green fumes softly wafting passed as they entered. The violet crystal, Jessie, seemed to dim, shuddering softly in uneasiness. 

"So this is where you've been keeping him the entire time? A bit chilly." 

"It was not easy gathering up what little was left of him, Mately. Do not complain." 

Walking through the quiet, gloomy room, they continued forward until a large, looming figure stood before them. Circe waved her hand, a soft gush of wind pushing away the green fumes, revealing a large sarcophagus, looming over them. Green fumes seemed to curl off the sarcophagus, a dark shadow reverberating around it. 

Circe turned end attention to Mately. "Well? Are you prepared?" 

"Prepared? Please, Circe, I'm always prepared." Mately was quick to move forward, pressing two hands to the front of it. "Time to bring you back, Lazarus."


	6. Chapter 6

Morning light shined softly though a large window directly across from the door. Before the window was a dark wooden desk, with a black swivel chair behind it and an older looking man sitting upon it. His eyes were sharp, piercing and calculating, yet they looked tired and old. The mans face showed his age, the weariness he had faced throughout the years. A scruffy white goatee sprouted from his chin, like a paintbrush. A scar running diagonally across his left cheek was the only blemish in sight, besides the frown covering his normally handsome face.

"Come in, come in. I've been expecting you for quite a while. I hope you enjoyed my staffs cooking." He could be none other then Jax Pheonix, leader of the house pheonix and father to Rizer pheonix. It was clear the way he stared at Sarina and Keira that he expected to b given the respect he so deserved. His cold gaze settled over them like a blanket of frost, sending shivers through their spines. "Please, step forward. Forgive me if I do not seem too.....cheerful. Ever since the death of Edward and the killer, things have been......hectic. Nonetheless, I am glad to have this chance to say I'm sorry for your loss. The bastard will be put away and will rot in jail for as long as he lives. That, I can assure you." 

"T-thank you for that sir......umm......but, can you explain how we got here? We've been told already, but I would just like to hear it from a credible source one more time." 

Jax stared at them, as if silently asking them if they were serious. "You were brought here by a young man named Stanley. Child and future heir to the Hemomins. I asked Stanley to tell me what happened before he arrived. Supposedly, after you had left him, he continued to search for the stray, eager to avenge your uncle. He told me that he had no luck until after dark, when off in the distance, he heard you two screaming. Ever the one to care for others needs, he and his peerage hurried to the sounds of distress, finding you both in a dire situation. Stanley hurried to your side, defending you from the stray. Luckily, he was able to subdue the stray, saving not only himself and his peerage, but you two as well. Stanley brought you back to my humble abode soon after that, crying like a babe, saying he had tried his best to save you. My healers got to work not long after that. Once they were done, they set you in the rooms you awoke in." 

Sarina clenched her hands into fists, biting back a growl of anger. "Y-you didn't believe him.....did you?" 

A raised eyebrow answered her question. 

"Of course you didn't. Just making sure." 

Jax allowed his lips to quirk into a tired smile. "I am old, not stupid. The Hemomins are a convincing group, sneaky and able to trick most everyone. However, I am not most everyone. Remember that before asking me such questions again." 

"Yes sir...." They both mumbled. 

"Please, take a seat. Would you like some tea while we wait?" Both women moved forward, taking their respective seats in the chairs sitting before his desk. The soft sound of tea being poured into two China cups resounded throughout the silent room. "Sorry for asking but.....uh....the maid said you had the stray with you. Unless he's invisible, I think she lied to us." 

Jax chuckled, leaning back into his chair. "Ah, the young Vander. You know, your father and I were once great friends. How has he been?" 

"The old codgers still kicking if that's what your asking." 

Another chuckle. "I appreciate your honesty, Kiera. That is one thing I respect and appreciate from the Vander clan. Silver tongues that sting with truth." 

Sarinas curiosity piqued as she listened to their conversation. "Wait, used to be great friends?" 

"Our histories share a dark chapter. Things change....people change." 

"Forgive me for asking....." Sarina mumbled, fingers fiddling with one another nervously. Jax could sense the tension, the nervousness in the air, sensing to switch the topic. "The stray, as you have so quickly asked, is not here. I had one of my servants bring him to me, but he was knocked aside. Because of that, I have sent my son to retrieve him. They should be arriving in the next few minutes. In that time, why don't you tell me what you know about the stray? What did you see as you were fighting him? Perhaps you caught a glimpse of what he looked like?" 

Keira quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Haven't you already seen him? I thought when Stacey brought him in you would've seen what he looked like." 

"Stacey?" 

"Stanley." 

Jax's lips tugged at a small smile. "I see.....well no, I was unable to see what the stray looked like. I was busy at the time. My son took care of the stray quickly. I arrived just before he was to leave the mansion. I asked because-" 

The sound of footsteps down the hall cut Jax off, who quickly stood up and walked to stand behind the girls. Sarina and Keira were just as quick to stand, keeping behind him, as they watched the doors burst open. 

In walked Rizer pheonix, son of Jax pheonix and future heir to the house pheonix. His normally handsome face was strewn with tension as he struggled to get the stray inside. A few other servants were with him, holding the strays arms and keeping him from lashing out. "Enough. Let him go." 

The servants and Rizer were hesitant to do as Jax said, but none the less shoved the stray forward, letting go of him. Giving a low bow the servants excused themselves, leaving the stray and Rizer inside. "Welcome to my humble abode. I hope my servants and son didn't hurt you too badly. It would be a shame to hurt you." 

Now that the strays head was no longer hidden behind the cowl, Sarina and Keira took the time to study his face. A handsome face, serious, yet with soft caramel colored eyes that looked tired from the recent events. His hair was short, white, messy and rustled from the recent events. A handsome young man, all in all. 

"It has been a while, Luther. I never really liked you, to be honest, but I never thought you would go so for as to kill your master." Jax glared at Luther, Luther returning the glare with just as much intensity.

"And so I end up here, standing before the hypocritical lord of the Pheonix clan. He who reigns with a lying, trembling fist that hides behind a fake bravado." Rizer was quick to step forward, aiming to strike the stray, but was stopped by his father.

Jax stepped towards Luther, jaw tight with a frown. "Fake? Fake? You stand before the leader of one of the most powerful clans in the devil world. You should be kneeling before me, honored that you have this once in a lifetime chance to stand in my presence. You should be grateful that the world has blessed you with the opportunity to be in the presence of not simply me, but my son." 

Luther kept his eyes forward, crossing his arms over his chest. "Grateful? I am being punished by being in your presence. Why should I be grateful that I am standing before a king who hides behind his servants? You think yourself powerful, yet the only reason you sit where you are now is because of your cheating methods. You and all those who have come before you are unworthy of this throne you are so proud of." 

Jax seemed to have a hard time keeping himself together. Hands clenching into fists, the head of the pheonix household took a deep breath, before slowly letting it out. "Perhaps you should refrain from ridiculing me and focus on the task at hand." Stepping to the side, Luther came face to face with Sarina. "Luther, this is-" 

"Sarina. Daughter of Dominic and Kianna Dillon. Heir to the Dillon household and a powerful Mage whose power continues to grow, similar to her mother." Luther turned to regard Keira. "Keira, daughter of Adrienne and Adeline Vander. Heir to the Vander household and a notorious fighter who takes after her mother, whose skill with daggers remained unchallenged to this day. Yes, I know who they are. They were the ones who stopped my dash to freedom and put me in this most.....precarious position." 

Keira stepped forward, face contorted into an angry glare. "That's it?! That's all you have to say?! You killed somebody in cold blood and-" 

Luther glared at her in a way that sent chills through the pink-haired girls spine. Keira, just like her family and everyone else known as a Vander, was hard headed and feared only a certain few. There were only 3 people able to shut Keira up in the way that Luther had just done. Her mother, her deceased older brother and her father. No one else in existence could send such a bone chilling glare at her, successfully, nonetheless. 

"You should choose your words wisely around me, child of Adrienne." He turned his attention to the surprised but still furious and tense Sarina. "You are angry at me for the death of your uncle. The death of a loved one is always hard and I understand the rage and sorrow coursing through your veins. However you must realize that your uncle was not what he seemed. Edward lied to you, Sarina. He lied to everybody. He lied about everything. You must believe me." 

"And why would I believe the man who killed him?! Why should I believe the words of a murderer?! WHY?! Why shouldn't I kill you right here and now?! Why did you kill him?! Why did you have to take him from me, from my family?!" 

Luther did not respond for a long while, simply staring into Sarinas eyes, as though calculating what the best answer would be. He did not seem worried, not afraid nor even the slightest bit guilty. No, what fit his description was.....annoyed. Sighing, as if he gave up, Luther finally responded. "The night that the party was held, when we first met, your uncle told me to go to the stables."

Keira rolled her eyes, reaching for a dagger, but remembering she didn't have one. "SO?! Who cares about some stupid stables?" 

Ignoring Keira, Luther continued. "Well, Sarina? Do you remember?" 

"How could I forget? That was the night he was murdered." Was the tense, shaky response. 

"Good. But now comes the real question." Leaning forward, Luther narrowed his eyes. "Do you remember ever seeing stables at his house? Of any kind?" Confusion became apparent along the raven haired beauty's features. Furrowing her brow, Sarina opened her mouth to voice her confusion, but was quickly interrupted by Jax.

"That is enough. You ask useless questions and are simply buying time." The head of the pheonix household looked to the young girls in his presence. "Ladies, please, if you would be so kind as to leave me and this.....wretch alone. I would like to speak to him privately." Rizer nodded, opening the door and motioning for Sarina and Keira to leave. Neither woman wanted to leave, but didn't dare go against Jax's wishes. They hurried to the door, past Rizer, who looked the, up and down, seemingly undressing them with his eyes. His actions were rewarded with a knee to the gut, a punch to the face, and a little lightning zap. 

Closing the door behind them, Rizer grumbled and rubbed his face, leaning against the closed door. Both Luther and Jax stared at the cocky young man, waiting. Staring back at them, he finally asked. "What? What's wrong?" 

Luther chuckled softly. "You must be so proud of him." He mocked, Jax glaring at him before looking to his son. "I said I would like to speak to him." Rizer nodded, staring back at his father, unable to take the hint. Sighing, Jax grumbled something under his breath. "PRIVATELY YOU IMBECILE!" 

Like a puppy who had done something bad and was afraid of being punished, Rizer scampered away, leaving the door halfway open. 

"Sometimes I wonder how the hell he got passed elementary school....." Jax grumbled, looking back to Luther, who was looking back at him, a small grin upon his lips. "I would comment upon how much of a failure you are and how your pathetic son will never live up to be anything, but from your reaction, you seem to know all too well." 

"Silence wretch! You are in my house and I will not have you disrespect me like some common dog!" Jax glared at Luther, who returned the glare, his grin dissapearing and being replaced with a serious frown. "So now what? You are to kill me? An old fool like yourself, killing a youth such as myself? Is that your plan, Jax?" 

The head of the pheonix household did not respond, his eyes scanning through everything and anything he could use at the moment. Something flickered in those eyes, to which Jax grinned and uttered a word that made Luther tense. "Adranmo." 

Luthiers hands clenched into fists, his posture becoming stiff at the very utterance of the word. 

"Thats right. I know who you really are, Darius. Darius Adranmo. Supposed son of Nathaniel Adranmo, whose father was the crazy bastard that nearly-" 

Darius, as was his real name, was quick to cut off Jax. "I would advise you to watch what you say, Jax." 

A tight lipped, angry frown formed upon the older mans lips. "And I would advise you to do the same. I know who you really are, and while none of the other idiot households seem to realize your true identity, it remains that I do, and you would be wise to watch your tongue." It seemed as though Darius was at a loss for words, and stayed silent. "Good. I think our little talk here is done. Guards!" 

Guards poured into the room, weapons poised to strike anything and everything that moved. 

"Guards, take this.....filth.....to a holding cell. I would like to prepare for the trial tomorrow. Make sure to give him something to eat......and give him a bath. We wouldn't want him to be dirty in front of everyone." 

A man stepped forth from the rest, bowing before speaking. "Milord, what about the girl? What would you like us to do with her?" Jax thought about this for a while, ignoring the harsh glare he was receiving from Darius. 

"Keep her with the boy.....give her some food and a nice warm bath, along with a fresh pair of clothes. See to it she is taken care of, otherwise it will be your heads on a stick." The man nodded, bowing once more before motioning for the guards to help him restrain the boy. Darius did not resist, though he did grumble a few curses as he was handcuffed, chained up and then lead away, leaving the head of the house alone at his desk, a contemplative look on his face.

Jax spun around in his chair, facing the window that shined in light from the setting sun. 

"Tomorrow is going to be a very interesting day." 

\-------------

The next day came quickly, too quickly for most. Morning sunlight poured through large windows, washing the courtroom in a golden glow that seemed to ease the seriousness of the case brought forth. It was early, with few people walking in and out of the courtrooms beautifully decorated doors. Jax, dressed in a fiery red suit, straightened his pinkish/orange tie, before checking his watch. "Half past 10. Where is that boy?" As if by the very mention, the boy who Jax looked for strides through the courtroom, a cocky smile on his face. "Good morning father, I see your up early, as always." 

Lord Jax turned to regard his son, who didn't seem in the slightest bit worried. "Your late. Tell me, did you finish what I asked of you?" Rizer scoffed, rolling his eyes, as if the notion of him not doing as he was told was completely absurd. "Of course I did. I made sure myself that the scoundrel was watered down with a hose and thrown into a cell, with nothing to dry off. The girl is safe besides him, though not wet and in a much better position." 

These words were careful analyzed before Jax nodded, patting his sons shoulder. "Good. Now listen here, boy. I want you to pay close attention to how this trial goes down. I want you to learn and analyze the way the persecution presents its side." 

Rizer scrunched up his nose, as if what his father said sent a bad smell through the air. "Why should I? I don't need to listen to these petty accusations. Who cares what they say? The wretch is gonna end up in jail anyways." 

"Because you are not a boy anymore, Rizer. As my son, you are the heir to my throne and I will not have a bumbling fool prance around what I worked hard to build. You must learn. You ,just pay attention. The world isn't your playground." 

Rizer glared at his father, chest puffing up proudly. "Do not belittle me, father. You must stop treating me like some simple CHILD. I am POWERFUL! And-" 

Jax grabbed the front of his sons shirt, slamming him against the wall. "ITS NOT ALL ABOUT POWER!" Rizers once proud and condescending attitude shattered at his fathers sudden outburst. "It's not all about power.....and until you realize that, you are nothing more then an arrogant, ignorant and stupid boy who is destined to break under the weight of his responsibilities." Stepping back, Jax let go of his sons shirt, pushing him away. "Make sure to pay attention. If you can't grow up and make yourself worthy of the throne, I will find someone who is. Plenty of boys out there eager for power." Turning away, the head of the pheonix household took a few steps before saying one last thing. "Don't disappoint me, Rizer. You remember what happened to your brother, don't you?" 

Rizer nodded, the cocky grin that seemed so comfortable on his features wiped away, to be replaced with a stoic, frown. "Yes sir....." 

"Good. Go get ready for the trial. Make sure to bring our little nuisance his lawyer. We wouldn't want this to be one-sided....now would we?" 

 

\----------

All manner of nobles flooded through the courtroom doors, eager to take their seats in the awaiting pews. Old friends exchanged hugs and recent news, laughing happy laughs as they reminisced of times past. Bitter rivals kept their distance, though they shared cold glares from time to time. Once the formalities were done and done with, the nobles all awaited for the trial to begin, talking softly with one another, cracking jokes and poking fun at a few people. The jury arrived not long after, entering from a side door, where they hurried up the steps to their respective seats upon the closed off pews. At the appearance of the jury, the chorus of mumbles and mingling died down. More or less, silence filled the room, as everyone awaited for the trial to begin. Not long after the jury arrived, in walked the prosecution, making their way to their respective table. Jax was among them, though his son was not, most likely in the stands, watching from a distance.

The defense walked in after, all eyes turning to regard them as they stepped through. The attorney appointed to the defense was a short man who did not look ready for the trial. Trembling and looking ready to poop himself, the little man was known as Fael Ure, nicknamed 'failure'. Known for never having won a trial, stuttering infinitely, throwing up on a noble and being utterly useless, the man was appointed to defend Darius, who carried his little sister upon his shoulders. Neither looked too happy that the little man was their defense, but said nothing anyways. Taking their seats at their respective table, they waited. 

In walked the judge himself, raising a hand to silence the reporters before they began to nag him with their questions. The big and burly man seemed more comfortable in a rocking chair on his front porch, rather then in front of countless nobles. Looking over a few papers on his desk, the judge looked to a police officer, motioning for him. The officer nodded, taking his cue and walking out in front of everyone. "Everyone, please, quiet down! Court is now in session!" The room went silent, everyone waiting for the judge to speak. Nodding, the police officer took his place once again by the judges pedestal. 

"We are all gathered here today, on the accusation that Luther has murdered Lord Edward Mixon in cold blood. He was once a servant to the noblemen, and now we are here to decide what his fate shall be. I don't believe I need to go over how this trial will go, so let's just jump right into it. Prosecution, you may begin with your opening statements." 

Jax made to stand, but was stopped but a quick hand upon his shoulder. A few silent words were exchanged before the attorney for the prosecutions side straightened his suit a bit and walked to stand before everyone. "Lord Edward Mixon died not too long ago, along with his wife, in the very chambers he slept in and was supposed to be safe in. Now, as most of you here attended the party, let me begin by setting that the party was not finished until exactly 3:04 in the morning. Even as you were all corralled outside and away from Edwards lovely mansion, you could see he was still not tucked into bed, but very much awake. When the party ended, Edward made his way upstairs and into the inner-most parts of his mansion. The parts where none are allowed to enter." Here is where the attorney paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing. "Where none were allowed to enter.......but his servants." 

Soft murmurs arose at this, though they did not raise to anything higher then that. Most seem unimpressed, and catching this, the attorney was quick too continue. "Now, that bit of information may seem useless or completely unnecessary, but think on this." The attorney motioned to a man, who quickly stepped forward and set up a projector. The magical projector was quick to come alive, bringing up a screen that hung in mid air before everyone. With a remote in hand, the attorney began to speak once again. "Now, most of you here have a few maids and butlers here and there. You want them to always be around to take care of your house and tidy up, but don't want them to go home. So, they live in certain areas of your home. Some of you have a separate wing for your servants. Edward was one of those few, and had a nice little separate house where his servants stayed." 

Pressing a button on the remote, the projector flickered before showing an image of what could only be the servant quarters. "This is where all of Edwards maids, butlers, foot massagers and others would come at the end of the day." The screen flickered before showing another image, one of an empty bed. "Each servant under Edwards rule had their own individual room, with a camera in it. Each bed has their owner sleeping comfortably......except for one. This one. This is where Luther, as you all know him, resides. Yet here, at exactly 2:50 AM, he is not there." 

The attorney allowed his words to sink in once more, receiving w few more hushed murmurs. "Now where could our loyal little servant be? Making a quick trip to the bathroom? If you look right here, the bathroom is in their room." A red circle was drawn on the screen, indicating where the bathroom door was. "The lights are off, and unlike Mr.Denozo, most of us don't use the bathroom with the lights off." A few soft chuckles went around the room, before quieting once more. "So why would Luther be outside, when everyone else is asleep? When everything's already been cleaned, and everyone's gone home? Simple. He snuck out of his chambers and killed Edward as he and his wife were preparing to sleep. With all his servants asleep, and with no guards or security of any kind, Luther made quick work of Edward and took off with the young girl he claims to be his sister, Eliora." The attorney pressed the remote and it once again switched to another image. "We took blood samples for testing, and found that the blood signatures matched that of Luthers." Turning to the defense table, the attorney stormed towards them, pointing a finger at 'Luther'. "This man is guilty of murder!" 

Luther did not react whatsoever, simply staring at the attorney with a blank, expression. The defense attorney, Mr.Failure as most everyone called him, whimpered and cowered beneath the other mans words, as though they were aimed at him and not Luther. The little girl, Luthers younger sister, Eliora tightened her grip on Luther, trying hard to not cry. "I would advise you too put away your finger.....before you lose it." The offense attorney smirked, as if impressed by Luthers guts. Before he could respond, however, the judge cut in. "Is that all, Mr.Vaughn?" Straightening out his suit and fixing his tie, said attorney nodded. "That is all." The projector was turned off and Vaughn took his seat besides Jax. 

"Defense, you may begin." All eyes snapped towards the defense attorney. Lips curled into smiles, hands covered giggled and eyes rolled in their sockets as the little man tentatively stood up. "Umm......h-hello everyone.....I....uh...." Trying hard to keep his composure, Fael reached into his pocket and looked over some notecards. "W-we.....uh.....umm...." Shuffling through the note cards, the defense attorney tried to read them off, but ended up dropping them. "O-oh no....." Fael reached down to pick them up, when a man yelled out over the pews, "FAILURE!" 

At this, Failure stood up, smacked a hand to his green lips and face, and made a dash for the door. Unfortunately, the poor fool wasn't able to make it, and ended up regurgitating his breakfast and something that was most definitely not food, onto a woman and her daughter too close to the splash zone. Screams erupted as the man stumbled forward, catching himself before falling and hurrying out the door. The nobles began to holler angrily, some screaming for blood as they stood to chase after the running attorney. The judge slammed his gavel down three times, silencing the room and gathering their attention. "SILENCE!" He roared, some nobles flinching and others shifting nervously. "Focus on the task at hand, ladies and gentlemen." The judge looked to Luther, pondering what too do. 

"It seems your attorney has run off on you, and seeing as though we have no other attorneys on stand by, we will have to postpone this trial for another date. Court is-" the judge was cut off by none other then Jax. "Hold on now, judge. With all due respect i vote that the stray defends himself. Who better to defend themselves then ones own self?" He asked, looking to the nobles for help. The other nobles murmured things here and there, curiosity filling their eyes. The judge pondered this for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully before looking towards Luther. "Well.......what do you think, boy? Are you willing to defend yourself?" Luther slowly nodded, giving Eliora a soft kiss on the forehead before standing and moving to the front. All eyes were on the stray, and none of them were friendly. Each pair of eyes stared Luther as if he was worse then a Hemomin, and that's saying something. 

Luther looked out at all the people, his eyes landing on two police officers, a young man and woman. He stared at them for a moment, before looking away. "Search the walls of the estate, for the walls teem with life." That was all he said, before bowing and taking his seat once more. Murmurs slipped though the crowd, though nothing more. Vaughn stood up and made his way to the front. The offense and defense took turns, except for the fact that Luther said nor did anything more for the rest of the trial, while Vaughn relentlessly pounded away at Luther from every angle. Each time Vaughn stood before the nobles and spoke, he hit home that Luther was guilty more and more, seemingly drilling it into their heads. The hopes that some would believe Luther was innocent were almost entirely gone when the time came for the jury to make their decision. 

For an hour the jury hid inside their small room, discussing the fate of Luther. For an hour the room was filled with a dense anxiousness that clouded the air, choking everyone that breathed. The air only got thicker with each tick of the clock, before becoming so thick some people had left the room for some fresh air. As the jury entered once more, everyone held their breath, expecting the answer but still unsure if it would come. One man stood up, holding a sheet of what looked like blank paper on it. Fixing his glasses, the man looked over the paper before speaking. "We, the jury, have discussed the fate of lord Edwards killer. We have come to a conclusion that Luther-" faces turned blue from holding breath so long, waiting for the man to finish, "-is guilty. He is guilty of not only 1st degree murder, but also of child abduction. We have no papers, birth certificates nor heard any other mouth proclaim that Eliora is Luthers younger sister. Until we have found out the truth, they will be separated. It is also unclear what part Eliora had in lord Edwards murder, as she seems very comfortable around Luther. We insist on a trial for Eliora as well. That is what the jury has decided upon." The man sat down, and with his eating, the anxiousness was swept away, replaced by a chorus of hollers, roars, laughter and simply yelling. 

Some nobles hollered for Luther to be killed, others yelling for materials to throw at him. The judge silenced them once more, before saying a few more words and declaring court adjourned. Luther, who was handcuffed, had his cuffs replaced with magical ones, before being lead away from the room. As he passed by Jax, he spoke. "Do not think this is over, Jax. I will not rot away in prison, and you will not keep me away from my sister. Though I do hope you set up a prison cell fitting for someone of my stature." 

Luther disappeared with Eliora and the guards, while the nobles bickered with one another, deciding what they should do now that the trial was over. Jax, even after having won the trial did not look happy. In fact, he looked worried, as though he had made a mistake by carrying out the trial. "Father, are you alright? Shouldn't you be happy that we won the trial?" Rizer asked tentatively, as thought fearful his father might explode into another burst of rage. 

Jax did not respond, though he did motion for his son to follow. "Come, I would like to meet with someone before we go any further with this. Along with that, you have a rating game against the Gremorys soon, do you not? Are you prepared to face them?" 

Rizer smirked, rolling his eyes. "Please, Rias is a beauty, but that is all. Powerful perhaps, but that power dwindles in my presence. I will crush her and her pathetic team in no time. Do not worry father, the plans for marriage are set and are too be carried out. I will not fail you." 

Jax critically looked his son over, as if deciding whether to smile or too frown. "I will mark your words in stone. Make sure you do not fail, and do not underestimate the power of the Gremorys. They may not have a pheonix healing power, but they are bound so tightly by their care for one another they may as well be mended together by bone. Make sure you will give them the proper respect they deserve, else you will find yourself on the end of Rias magic. Few have been at that end and survived." 

Rizer nodded, though the confident smile upon his lips did not falter, as father and son exited the courtroom and into the midday sunlight.


End file.
